WB Govt Plans Border Fencing Along Bangladesh

The newly formed West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a series of major policy decisions at its first cabinet meeting, with the most significant being a plan to expedite fencing construction along the Bangladesh-India border.

The cabinet decided that land required for border fencing projects would be handed over to India’s Border Security Force (BSF) within 45 days to strengthen border security and surveillance.

The decision was taken during the first cabinet meeting held on Monday at the state secretariat Nabanna, attended by newly sworn-in ministers and senior government officials.

Among those present were senior political leaders including Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Nisith Pramanik and other cabinet members.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Suvendu Adhikari said his government would work under a “double-engine” governance model and serve people irrespective of political affiliation.

He said state authorities had been instructed to transfer the necessary land to the BSF within the stipulated timeframe. The chief secretary and senior land and revenue officials were assigned to oversee the process.

The chief minister claimed that demographic changes in West Bengal had made border security a critical issue and said the government would take a tougher stance on illegal cross-border activities.

According to him, construction of barbed-wire fencing in vulnerable border areas would now move forward at a faster pace to strengthen monitoring and prevent infiltration and smuggling.

The cabinet also approved the implementation of the central government’s healthcare programme Ayushman Bharat in West Bengal. The chief minister said the process of bringing residents under the scheme had already begun from Monday.

In another major move, the new administration announced that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita would officially come into force in the state from now on. Adhikari alleged that the previous administration had delayed implementing the new criminal code.

The government also announced relief for job seekers by extending the age limit for government job applications by five years.

The chief minister said large-scale recruitment in state government services had remained largely stalled since 2015, causing many applicants to exceed the age limit. The extension, he said, was intended to compensate affected candidates and create fresh opportunities for employment.

The cabinet further decided to resume participation of state administrative officers in central government training programmes. Adhikari claimed that under the previous administration, IAS and IPS officers from West Bengal were often not sent for central-level training.

Despite the policy changes, the chief minister assured that ongoing social welfare schemes introduced by the previous government would continue.

However, he warned that benefits received illegally or in the names of deceased individuals would be stopped as part of efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in welfare distribution.