Suvendu Adhikari meets Rajnath Singh, President Murmu in New Delhi

West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi, following the commencement of fencing work along the India-Bangladesh border after the state government transferred land to the BSF.

CM Adhikari's High-Profile Meetings in Delhi

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the national capital. In a post on X, Singh lauded the West Bengal Chief Minister and expressed strong confidence that Adhikari will take the state to greater heights. "Met with the Chief Minister of West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari in New Delhi. He is a person of rich political and legislative experience. I am confident that he will work towards taking West Bengal to greater heights," said Singh.

During his visit, the West Bengal Chief Minister also met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan today. "Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan," said the Rashtrapati Bhawan office.

Border Fencing Begins After Land Transfer

These meetings come after the commencement of fencing work along the India-Bangladesh border in the Phansidewa area of Siliguri subdivision. This fencing work began after the West Bengal government handed over a crucial 27-kilometre stretch of land to the Border Security Force (BSF), marking a major step toward reinforcing border security in the region.

Visuals from the border town showed fencing work underway, with officials initiating groundwork following the long-pending land transfer. The move is expected to bolster surveillance and improve security infrastructure along the sensitive international border.

Residents Express Relief

Residents of the area expressed relief over the development, calling it a long-awaited measure to address persistent security concerns. "This is a border area where there was no security before. The environment here was so horrific before that I cannot describe it. 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 that thanks to the efforts of the new government and the new Chief Minister, we are safe," said a resident, Anil Ghosh.

Cabinet Decision Paved the Way

The development comes days after Suvendu Adhikari announced in Howrah that the state government was ready to transfer 27 kilometres of land for fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, along with additional land for Border Outposts (BOPs) and BSF infrastructure. The Chief Minister had said the decision followed renewed coordination with central agencies after earlier delays in land allocation.

The Chief Minister added that the decision taken in the first Cabinet meeting had set the transfer process in motion, with the land to be handed over to the Ministry of Home Affairs within 45 days, after which BSF fencing work would be completed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)