Border fencing begins in Siliguri subdivision as BSF gets 27-km stretch of land
The Statesman | 23 May 2026
Fencing work has started along a stretch of the India-Bangladesh border in the Phansidewa area of West Bengal’s Siliguri subdivision after the state government handed over 27 kilometres of land to the Border Security Force (BSF).
Visuals from the area on Thursday showed groundwork underway as officials moved ahead with long-pending fencing activity in the border belt. The move is expected to strengthen surveillance and security infrastructure along the sensitive international border.
The development comes days after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the state government would transfer 27 kilometres of land for border fencing, along with additional land for Border Outposts (BOPs) and other BSF infrastructure. He had said the process was initiated after renewed coordination with central agencies.
Residents in the border villages welcomed the start of fencing work, saying the region had faced security concerns for years.
“This is a border area where there was no security before. The environment here was so horrific before that I cannot describe it,” resident Anil Ghosh told ANI.
“Before, we couldn’t even raise cows here. Raising cows was the same as surrendering ourselves to the Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. This was a matter of security not only for West Bengal but for the entire country. Today, we feel safe,” he added.
Another resident, Narayan Saha, said villagers had long demanded fencing in the area.
“We had asked for border fencing earlier, but it was not done. Now the BSF has been given a free hand within days and villagers feel relieved. People feel they can finally sleep peacefully,” he told ANI.
Shivam Modak, another local resident, described the land transfer as an important step for national security.
“We felt insecure earlier because of tensions in the border area. The government handing over 27 kilometres of land to the BSF has given us relief,” he said.
Earlier this week, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had said the state Cabinet approved the process for transferring the land required for fencing and related infrastructure.
He had also criticised the previous Trinamool Congress government, alleging that delays in land allocation had slowed border fencing work in the region.
According to the Chief Minister, the land is expected to be formally transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs within 45 days, following which fencing work by the BSF would continue at full pace.