# Shah blames Mamata for delay in Bengal border fencing 2026-08-23T06:24:58+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday blamed former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for delaying land approvals needed for India-Bangladesh border fencing. He said the Centre had sought 1,129 acres since 2014, but received the land only after Suvendu Adhikari’s BJP government took office. Shah also said 560 acres had been approved for security needs around the Siliguri Corridor. He announced a border security administration headquarters in Siliguri on 80 acres and said the Siliguri-New Delhi transport corridor was closer to becoming a reality. Adhikari said the state would work with the Centre and security agencies to strengthen border security and curb smuggling. Shah also reviewed the use of drones, anti-drone systems, thermal imaging, artificial intelligence and real-time intelligence sharing. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India’s 4,096-km land boundary with Bangladesh is managed through a division of responsibilities. The Border Security Force operates under the Union government, while state authorities must help secure land and clear local requirements for infrastructure. West Bengal accounts for the largest share of this boundary, making coordination there especially important. Delays can leave vulnerable stretches without physical barriers and complicate efforts against smuggling and unauthorised crossings. The practical test now is whether the approved land is transferred on schedule and whether construction advances across the identified stretches. Progress on the Siliguri Corridor project will also indicate how quickly the Centre and state can convert approvals into security infrastructure. ## Coverage - assamtribune.com Leads with Shahu2019s blame and contrasts past delays with current state cooperation This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Amit Shah, BSF, Mamata Banerjee, Siliguri, Suvendu Adhikari Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/shah-blames-mamata-for-delay-in-bengal-border-fencing/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/shah-blames-mamata-for-delay-in-bengal-border-fencing/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/