West Bengal shares more than 2,200 kilometers of border with Bangladesh, a region historically vulnerable to illegal infiltration, smuggling, and cross-border criminal activity. The central government has maintained that approximately 78 percent of the feasible stretch has already been secured through fencing. However, nearly 435 kilometers remain incomplete, with a substantial portion stalled due to persistent land acquisition challenges.
The matter came under scrutiny during hearings in the Supreme Court, where questions were raised regarding the slow pace of fencing and its implications for national security. The central government attributed the delays primarily to the state government’s failure to hand over acquired land in a timely manner, identifying it as a critical bottleneck in the project’s execution.
The dispute further intensified in the Calcutta High Court following a Public Interest Litigation that highlighted an increase in infiltration incidents and significant narcotics seizures along the border. The court observed that although land acquisition had been completed and compensation disbursed, a considerable portion had not yet been transferred to the Border Security Force for fencing purposes.
Out of nearly 198 kilometers of such acquired land, only a limited section has been handed over, leaving more than 127 kilometers still pending. The High Court sharply criticized the delays, dismissed administrative justifications, and imposed strict deadlines for compliance. Subsequent status reports, however, revealed minimal progress, prompting the court to express further dissatisfaction and impose financial penalties on responsible officials.
With the next hearing approaching, the case continues to underscore the complex intersection of national security priorities, administrative inefficiencies, and the challenges of coordination between the central and state governments.
The ongoing judicial oversight highlights the urgency of resolving procedural delays in a region critical to national security, while also exposing deeper structural issues in intergovernmental collaboration that have hindered timely implementation of essential border infrastructure.
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