148 km West Bengal-Bangladesh Border Fencing Delayed Due to Land Acquisition Hurdles

Quick Summary

• The total length of the Indo-Bangladesh border in west Bengal is 2,216.7 km, out of which 1,647.696 km has been covered with fencing.
• Of the remaining 569.004 km, 112.780 km is deemed non-feasible for fencing while 456.224 km is feasible.
• Land acquisition for fencing along the feasible stretch (456.224 km) is progressing:

– Land has been handed over for 77.935 km.
– For another 148.971 km, land acquisition by the State government is yet to be initiated.
– The rest (229.318 km) remains in various stages of acquisition.

• Payments for timely land acquisition have been released as per norms; payment made for land covering a stretch of 181.635 km but handover to agencies remains pending in some cases.
• MHA stated regular reviews and coordination with West Bengal’s state government are ongoing to expedite progress on border infrastructure advancement.
• Concerns over porous borders include alleged illegal infiltration and associated criminal activities such as human trafficking.

indian Opinion Analysis

The ongoing effort to fence the India-Bangladesh border holds strategic importance amidst longstanding concerns surrounding illegal infiltration and security threats along this porous stretch in West Bengal. While notable progress has been made (1,647+km fenced), delays in land acquisition-especially on a large scale-highlight administrative bottlenecks at both state and national levels.

The coordination challenges between the Union and State governments could have implications not only on national security but also potentially exacerbate regional sentiments concerning cross-border migration issues or tensions tied to local demographics linked with alleged Bangladeshi nationals.

Ensuring timely completion of infrastructure will require continued dialog among stakeholders while balancing resource allocation priorities effectively across departments at different administrative levels.

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