Amidst BSF jurisdiction expansion row, Union Home Secretary meets up West Bengal officials

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla's meeting with West Bengal's senior bureaucrats and police officials is underway. The issue of BSF jurisdiction expansion, Centre's move opposed by state, is likely to be discussed.

New Delhi:Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla arrived in Kolkata on Friday, days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee opposed the Centre's decision to expand Border Security Force's jurisdiction from 15 kilometres to 50 kilometres. Union Home Secretary Bhalla's meeting with senior bureaucrats and police officials of West Bengal started at around 12.30 pm on Friday at New Town in the northern outskirts of Kolkata.

As per Union Home Ministry's official spokesperson, Bhalla will discuss pending land acquisition cases for construction of border fence and road projects, border outposts and integrated check posts with the state chief secretary. It is also likely that the issue of expanding BSF jurisdiction will also be discussed, said the official. State government sources also said that the extension of BSF’s authority might run out to be the main agenda of the meeting.

Others present at the meeting include state chief secretary, HK Dwivedi, state home secretary, BP Gopalika, state police’s acting director-general, Manoj Malviya and other senior bureaucrats and police officials. Representatives of the Indian Army, Border Security Force (BSF), Coast Guard and the district magistrates of the Indo- Bangladesh bordering districts of the state are also present at the meeting.

Talking to ETV Bharat, Prakash Singh former director-general of BSF said that the decision taken by the Centre is a welcome step. "The increase of jurisdiction area of BSF was a much-needed step. This will definitely help the State police in tackling crimes that happened in the areas near the international border," Singh said. He said that the decision will also ensure the security of the people living in those sensitive areas.

Out of the 4,096 kilometre-long internal border between India and Bangladesh, West Bengal shares 2,217 of its border with the neighbouring country. As per the amended notification of the BSF Act, its officers are now authorised to take action under CrPC, Passport Acts and Passport (Entry into India) Act. Of the total 2,217 km of border West Bengal shares with Bangladesh, 1,638 km have already been covered by fencing.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government had been against the extension of BSF’s authority since the beginning. Trinamool Congress has decided to float a resolution on November 17 in the state assembly demanding immediate withdrawal of the Union home ministry notification extending BSH’s authority to make search, seizure and arrests within a 50 km stretch, up from the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee while registering her strong protest over the move has also sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 24 and appealed Modi for his immediate intervention and to withdraw the order. In her letter, Banerjee said that the Centre's decision of expanding BSF jurisdiction will interfere with the executive power of the State."37 per cent of State's territory will be affected with the order," Banerjee pointed out.

The state government is of the opinion that the extension of BSF’s authority tantamount to curbing the state government’s power. Even the Congress-ruled Punjab government has also opposed this move of the Union home ministry. They will also float a resolution on this count at the Punjab assembly.

Meanwhile, BSF sources said that on early Friday morning their personnel witnessed that illegal transportation and smuggling were going on near the bordering village. When the BSF personnel tried to stop, the smugglers attacked the security men. So the BSF personnel resorted to counter- firing for self-defence in which the three individuals were killed.

The incident took place near BSF’s Bhandari camp at Chamta village panchayat area under Sitai police station in Cooch Behar district. Of the three killed one is an Indian and the other two are Bangladeshi residents.