Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, 29 May said the Centre had begun accelerating border fencing work along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, following in-principle approval from the newly-formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government to transfer land required for the project. Shah made the remarks while addressing Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at Border Outpost G7 in Bhuj, Gujarat.

Incomplete Fencing Called a 'Biggest Weakness'

Shah described the unfinished fencing along the Bengal stretch of the India-Bangladesh border as one of the 'biggest weaknesses' in India's border security grid. He noted that while geographical constraints exist in certain stretches, fencing had remained incomplete even in areas where construction was entirely feasible — solely because the required land had not been made available by the previous state administration.

'The biggest weakness in our security grid was the incomplete border fencing in Bengal,' Shah said, adding: 'Even where fencing could be constructed on available land, we had not received the land till now.'

New BJP Government Moves Swiftly on Land Transfer

Referring to the recent political transition in West Bengal, Shah said the new BJP government had acted within days of assuming office. 'Just a few days ago, with the blessings of the people of Bengal, a BJP government was formed there in a completely democratic manner, and within one week the Chief Minister gave in-principle approval to provide all land required for fencing,' he said.

According to Shah, work on transferring portions of the land had already commenced. He said that once physical fencing was completed, infiltration could be stopped 'on a very large scale.'

Technology to Secure Forests, Rivers and Streams

Shah acknowledged that forests, rivers, and streams would remain as the only vulnerable stretches after physical fencing was in place. He said the government was simultaneously developing technological fencing systems to address these terrain-specific challenges. 'Then only forests, rivers and streams will remain as possible routes, and we are simultaneously working at great speed on technological fencing for those areas as well,' he said.

He added that the Centre was integrating technology-based surveillance with conventional border management to strengthen security along both the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders.

Smart Border Security Project Outlined

During the interaction, Shah outlined the Centre's 'Smart Border Security Project', which encompasses the deployment of drones, radars, watch towers, and other modern surveillance systems along vulnerable stretches. The project represents a shift toward layered, technology-augmented border management.

Context: Shah's Bhuj Visit

The Home Minister was in Bhuj to review security infrastructure and operational preparedness in the Sir Creek and Harami Nala sectors along the India-Pakistan border. His visit to Border Outpost G7 formed part of a broader assessment of frontier readiness. The Bengal border fencing issue has long been flagged by security analysts as a critical gap enabling illegal cross-border movement, and Friday's remarks signal that the Centre intends to move decisively now that the state-level political obstacle has been removed.