The Calcutta High Court recently reprimanded the West Bengal government for failing to comply with a high-stakes security mandate, noting that only 8 kilometres of land has been handed over to the [Border Security Force](BSF) since January 2026. Despite a January 27 court order requiring the state to transfer a total of 127.327 kilometres of already-acquired land across nine border districts for essential barbed-wire fencing, progress has stalled at a mere 6% of the target. Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, presiding over the division bench, expressed severe dissatisfaction with the state’s “evasive” report and imposed a fine of ₹25,000 on a state officer for the non-compliance.
The court’s directive stems from a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by retired army officer Dr.SubrataSaha, who highlighted that unfenced stretches of the India-Bangladesh border pose a “grave threat” to national security by facilitating illegal infiltration and smuggling. The land in question had already been purchased or acquired by the state government using funds provided by the Central government. In its January ruling, the High Court set a clear deadline of March 31, 2026, for the handover, emphasizing that administrative or electoral exercises should not impede such vital security infrastructure.
During the hearing on April 22, the bench noted that the state’s submission was not filed on an affidavit, which it viewed as a major procedural lapse. The court observed that while the state was granted more than the requested time to fulfill the order, it provided no justifiable reason for the delay.
The West Bengal government has now been ordered to file a detailed affidavit by the next hearing on May 13. This document must outline, on a day-to-day and district-wise basis, the specific steps being taken to comply with the land transfer mandate.
