West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced a new “detect, delete and deport”’ framework against “infiltrators” in the state.
The state government also announced to hand over a 27-km stretch of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) within two weeks, for long-pending fencing work and construction of border outposts along the India-Bangladesh International Border.
Adhikari made the announcements while addressing a press conference alongside senior BSF officials after a land transfer ceremony at the state secretariat Nabanna on Wednesday.
Under the new mechanism — as part of what the CM described as a broader “detect, delete and deport”’ framework — the “infiltrators” detained by the state police would be handed over directly to the BSF for deportation.
Adhikari asserted that the seven communities protected under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), and found to have entered the country before the 2024 deadline, would remain outside the ambit of the new mechanism. He said such residents would not face “harassment” of any kind.
Meanwhile, others identified as “infiltrators” by the police would be detained and deported with immediate effect.
“Those who are not covered under the CAA will be treated as infiltrators. State police will detain and hand them over to the BSF,” Adhikari said.
Those found to have “illegally” entered the country would be immediately arrested and handed over to the BSF, which, in coordination with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), will arrange for their deportation “back to their own country”, the chief minister added.
He said the Centre and the state government would work together to stop infiltration, signalling a sharper policy turn on infiltration and border security — a key issue raised by the BJP for long and now at the centre of the new state government’s agenda.
Adhikari also alleged that institutional coordination along the border had weakened over the years.
Hitting out at the TMC, Adhikari said: “A letter was sent by the Centre to the state on May 14 last year regarding the direct handover of infiltrators to the BSF, but the previous government failed to implement this important provision. We have now enforced it.”
He added, “During the previous government, there was not a single coordination meeting with the districts in the border areas.” He said the new government has been regularly holding these meetings, and if necessary, they could be held at the local police station level, as well.
The BJP had promised land allocation for border fencing within 45 days of forming the government in the state. The new cabinet had earlier approved the land transfer proposal, and tasked the chief secretary with completing the process within the 45-day deadline.
India shares a 4,096-km border with Bangladesh, of which a 2,216-km stretch falls in West Bengal. Of the total border stretch, around 1,653-km stretch has been fenced, leaving approximately 563 km unfenced border, largely along the state, as per a reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha in August 2025.
The twin announcements by the CM have sent a clear message of renewed Centre–state coordination and a stringent stand on border security and infiltration.
— WITH PTI INPUTS