Land for Border Fencing Not an Issue, Centre Must Roll Back BSF Jurisdiction Expansion: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, West Bengal: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (February 5, 2026) said that her government has no objection to providing land for border fencing along the international border but strongly demanded that the Centre roll back its decision to expand the Border Security Force (BSF)’s jurisdiction in the state from 15 km to 50 km.

Calling the move “arbitrary” and excessive, the Chief Minister argued that such an expansion amounts to over-securitisation of border areas, which could seriously disrupt democratic processes, civil administration, and the everyday lives of people living near the border.

‘Infiltration Is Not the Only Issue’

Addressing the issue, Mamata Banerjee criticised the Centre’s repeated focus on infiltration, saying it ignores the social and democratic realities of border regions.

“They understand only one word — infiltration. Will the youth and new voters not get enrolled?” she asked, warning that excessive security control could interfere with voter enrolment, political activity, and civil liberties.

She stressed that border areas are home to lakhs of ordinary citizens, many of whom depend on agriculture, trade, and daily cross-border movement for their livelihood.

BSF Jurisdiction Expansion Under Fire

In 2021, the Centre expanded the BSF’s operational jurisdiction in states like West Bengal, Punjab, and Assam from 15 km to 50 km from the international border, giving the force greater powers of search, seizure, and arrest.

The West Bengal government has consistently opposed the move, arguing that law and order is a state subject, and such decisions undermine the authority of the state police and civil administration.

Centre–State Tussle Continues

The Chief Minister reiterated that her government is fully supportive of national security measures, including border fencing, but said cooperation cannot come at the cost of constitutional federalism.

“Land is not a problem. Cooperation is not a problem. The problem is unilateral decisions that ignore states,” she said.

The issue has once again highlighted the ongoing Centre–state friction over security policies in border states.

Political and Administrative Implications

Political analysts say the continued standoff could impact border management, voter outreach programmes, and development work in sensitive areas. Opposition parties, however, accused the state government of politicising national security.

The Centre has maintained that the expanded BSF jurisdiction is essential to deal with cross-border crimes, smuggling, and illegal infiltration.