The Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal Government to file a comprehensive affidavit regarding the status and challenges of fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border. The directive follows a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) urging the installation of barbed-wire fencing in unfenced stretches of the border, where vulnerabilities have reportedly facilitated infiltration and smuggling activities.
West Bengal shares nearly 2,216 kilometres of India’s international boundary with Bangladesh, one of the longest and most sensitive border zones in the country. Several portions of this border remain unfenced, raising persistent security concerns.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Ashok Chakraborty, representing the central government, informed the court that the West Bengal administration has shown inadequate cooperation, particularly in the acquisition of land required for the fencing project. He emphasized that the lack of seriousness on the state’s part is impeding progress on a matter of national importance.
Taking note of these concerns, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Pal and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen directed the state government to submit its affidavit within 15 days, detailing its position, actions taken so far, and plans for facilitating the fencing work.
