West Bengal cabinet clears permanent transfer of land to BSF, SSB along 'Chicken's Neck' corridor
India's West Bengal cabinet, headed by Chief Minister
Suvendu Adhikari, has approved the permanent transfer of 54.2 acres of land to
the Border Security Force (BSF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for construction
of fencing, outposts and roads along the frontiers with Bangladesh and Nepal.
The
decision aims at enhancing the border infrastructure in the strategically
sensitive "Chicken's Neck" corridor.
"The
cabinet approved proposal for perpetual transfer of 54.2485 acres of
government-vested land in different districts [Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri,
Darjeeling, Murshidabad, North Dinajpur, Malda] in favour of Border Security
Force and Sashastra Seema Bal, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India for
various purposes like construction of Border Out Post, Border Fencing, Road,
etc," an official statement said on Friday (3 July).
The cabinet decision is a follow-up of its first meeting of the BJP government
on 11 May to transfer nearly 600 acres of land to BSF within a 45-day timeline.
Adhikari
had at that time said out of the 2,217km border with Bangladesh, around 600km
remains unfenced.
The
"Chicken's Neck" is strategically vulnerable as it is a barely 22km
wide strip of land in West Bengal, serving as the sole link connecting mainland
India to eight northeastern Indian states and acting as a key carrier of
military logistical support.
The
BSF guards the India-Bangladesh border in the region while SSB is responsible
for securing the frontier with Nepal.
