Why has West Bengal cleared land for BSF now?

West Bengal occupies a key position as it shares the longest international border with Bangladesh among Indian states | Photo credit: PTI

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The West Bengal Cabinet has approved the permanent transfer of 31,905 acres at nine locations to the Border Security Force (BSF) for border fencing and related security infrastructure, along with 1.53 acres for three new border outposts at Malda, Nadia and Cooch Behar. The decision was announced in early June 2026 and was brought as part of the state government’s efforts to strengthen surveillance and infrastructure along the India-Bangladesh border. The decision does not represent a new border policy, but a release of land that has remained unsettled despite repeated administrative and judicial interventions. It clears a major hurdle at the state level in the long-delayed border infrastructure project, which has been plagued by disputes over land acquisition, difficult terrain and legal and political complications. The move also follows the January 2026 Calcutta High Court order delivered by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen in WPA (P) 45 of 2025, Lt. Gen. Dr. already acquired or compensated should not remain unused for border fencing.

Published – 04 Aug 2026 08:30 IST