As part of efforts to strengthen intelligence gathering along the India-Bangladesh border, the Centre has sought around 50 acres of land across West Bengal’s border districts to establish permanent infrastructure for the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
According to sources, the Union Home Ministry has proposed setting up permanent offices and residential quarters for SIB personnel at around 40 locations, each requiring one to one-and-a-half acres of land.
A high-level meeting between officials of the union home ministry and the West Bengal home department has already been held to discuss the proposal.
At present, barring Kolkata, most SIB units in the state operate from rented premises.
While the Centre is willing to purchase land, the state government is examining the possibility of allotting government-owned land for the project.
Sources said the move comes amid growing security concerns over the evolving situation in Bangladesh, increased incidents of infiltration and cross-border smuggling, and reports of heightened activities by foreign intelligence agencies.
The expanded infrastructure is expected to strengthen intelligence collection and facilitate timely security alerts to both the Centre and the state government.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has recently handed over 142.79 acres of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for the construction of border outposts and barbed-wire fencing across nine districts along the India-Bangladesh border.
The land has been transferred in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas to facilitate long-pending border infrastructure projects.
Officials said the land will primarily be used for constructing new border outposts and expanding barbed-wire fencing in vulnerable stretches.
The strengthened infrastructure is expected to improve round-the-clock surveillance, enhance coordination between the BSF and district administrations, and bolster efforts to curb infiltration, smuggling and other cross-border crimes.
The land transfer also marks the resolution of several long-pending hurdles that had delayed border infrastructure projects for years.
Fencing and outpost construction in several districts had been held up due to land acquisition disputes and local objections.
The state government recently directed district administrations to expedite the identification and transfer of land for security projects, with the latest handover seen as a major step towards strengthening border management and operational preparedness along Bengal’s international border.