Kolkata, 20 May (H.S.) : The West Bengal government has initiated the process of transferring nearly 100 acres of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for strengthening infrastructure along the India–Bangladesh border, according to official sources.

The move comes amid long-standing demands from the Central government and the Border Security Force to expedite land allocation for the construction of border fencing and operational outposts.

Sources said the land being handed over includes over 43 acres earmarked for fencing work across five districts, while around 56 acres of government land will be used for the construction of BSF border outposts located approximately 200 metres from the international border.

Additionally, around six acres of land near the sensitive “Chicken’s Neck” corridor in Siliguri are also under consideration for BSF deployment, including a proposed headquarters in the region.

Officials indicated that the land transfer process is being carried out following a Cabinet decision of the newly formed state government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. A senior BSF official is also expected to attend a meeting with the Chief Minister in Kolkata.

According to administrative data, land acquisition has already been completed in several districts, including Murshidabad, Malda, Cooch Behar, North 24 Parganas, and Nadia. Additional approvals have been granted for acquisition in nine border districts to cover remaining stretches required for fencing work.

Officials said that in Murshidabad alone, over 24 acres have been earmarked, while Malda has contributed around 10 acres. Smaller parcels have been identified in Cooch Behar and North 24 Parganas. In South Dinajpur, nearly 9.8 acres were already handed over at the district level.

The initiative aims to facilitate fencing across nearly 456 kilometres of the India–Bangladesh border in West Bengal, where work has remained incomplete due to land acquisition challenges. These include stretches in North Dinajpur, Malda, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Murshidabad, and North 24 Parganas, along with difficult terrain areas where fencing is technically challenging.

Authorities have stated that compensation for acquired land will be provided at rates up to four times the government benchmark, with payments routed through the state administration to landowners.

Officials added that local administrative bodies have already begun consultations with landowners in several border blocks, including in Murshidabad, where preparatory meetings have been held for fencing-related work in multiple border-adjacent villages.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh