Siliguri: Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Siliguri on Saturday during his crucial two day visit to North Bengal. He chaired a high level administrative meeting with the state government at Uttarkanya to address pressing issues surrounding regional security, border management and key administrative reforms.
This marks the first North Bengal tour for the Home Minister following the formation of the BJP government in West Bengal. Upon landing at Bagdogra on a special Indian Air Force aircraft on Friday night, he was received by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and several state cabinet ministers. After spending the night at the BSF headquarters in Kadamtala, Shah proceeded to Siliguri to steer the administrative discussions.
A prominent item on the agenda was securing the highly strategic Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as the Chicken Neck. The central government is particularly vigilant about this narrow stretch of land, as it serves as the sole terrestrial link connecting Northeast India to the mainland. The Union Home Ministry is extensively reviewing the regional security grid to ensure smooth military movement and safeguard the upcoming Rangpo railway project near the Bengal Sikkim border. Detailed deliberations were also held on fortifying the India Bangladesh border to prevent illegal infiltration.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, top bureaucrats, parliamentarians and ministers from various districts including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, North and South Dinajpur and Malda participated in the meeting. The leaders focused on three primary objectives. These included enforcing a strict policy against criminal gangs, expediting the digitisation of birth and death records and strongly cracking down on cases involving fake identities and illegal cross border movement.
Earlier on Saturday morning, Amit Shah visited the border areas of Jamuriya Vita and Sanyasikata in the Dabgram Phulbari region. He took stock of the on ground security arrangements, interacted with deployed BSF personnel and laid the foundation stones for multiple development projects aimed at boosting local infrastructure.