Kolkata, 02 March (H.S.) : The West Bengal government has given in-principle approval for the transfer of approximately 105 acres of land to central agencies for border security purposes. The land will primarily be used by the Border Security Force (BSF) to erect fencing along a 17-kilometer stretch and to construct border outposts (BOPs).

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier constituted a special ministerial group to examine proposals related to the transfer of land to central agencies. On Friday, the group held a meeting at the state secretariat 'Nabanna', where the proposal was cleared in principle.

According to sources, the final approval for the land transfer will be given by the state Cabinet. A senior official said, “The proposal to hand over land to the BSF for border fencing and construction of border outposts was discussed in detail. It will now be placed before the Cabinet for final approval.”

Administrative sources indicated that the BSF requires approximately 67 acres for fencing the 17-kilometer stretch and about 18 acres for constructing nine border outposts. The land is currently owned by private individuals, and the state government will acquire it before handing it over to the BSF.

The ministerial group has also recommended transferring around 20-25 acres of government land in nine border-adjacent locations to the BSF.

An official said, “The objective of this step is to strengthen border infrastructure and enhance security arrangements in the region.” Once the Cabinet approves the proposal, the district administration will begin discussions with landowners to acquire the necessary plots.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh