Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said border security and the identification of illegal immigrants were defining priorities of the new BJP government in Bengal.
He announced that 4,800 persons who did not qualify for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) had already been deported, while 836 more were awaiting deportation from holding centres set up across border districts.
Addressing a party workshop titled Deendayal Upadhyay Prashikshan Maha Abhiyan, a training programme designed to orient party workers on governance, public conduct and coordination between the organisation and the government, held at New Town, Suvendu said the administration had moved swiftly on one of the BJP’s key political commitments after assuming power.
Suvendu said his government had made border security a top priority, and in its very first cabinet meeting after assuming office, approved the transfer of land to the BSF for the installation of border fencing. According to him, fencing is required along a total stretch of 556km.
“Border security is our top priority. That is why we have handed over nearly 100km of land to the BSF for fencing work out of 556km required,” Suvendu said.
Linking the initiative to the BJP’s long-standing stand on illegal immigration, the chief minister indicated the government had launched a drive to identify and deport infiltrators, particularly Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals. According to the policy adopted by the BJP-led government at the Centre, Hindu immigrants who faced religious persecution in Bangladesh are eligible for Indian citizenship under the CAA. Those outside this ambit would be deported.
“We have acted according to provisions under the law and handed over infiltrators to the BSF instead of lodging them in jails. Earlier, they were allowed to stay here as guests, fed at taxpayer expense and provided government facilities. That situation has now changed,” Suvendu said.
He added: “We have established holding stations in all border districts. From these centres, 4,800 people have already been deported. At this moment, another 836 persons are being kept in these holding stations, and they too will be deported soon.”
He claimed that many Bangladeshis had voluntarily gathered along the Hakimpur border in North 24-Parganas to return amid fears of a crackdown.
Aid for families
The chief minister announced financial aid for the families of 315 BJP workers allegedly killed during the Trinamool regime. “One member from each victim’s family will receive a government job this month. In addition, every family will be given ₹5 lakh from the chief minister’s relief fund,” Suvendu said.
Census calendar
The chief minister said the long-pending census process, which he alleged was stalled under the previous Trinamool government, had now
been revived.
“Survey work will be conducted between August 12 and August 15. The actual enumeration of family members will be conducted from August 16 to September 14. This is a very important exercise. The census process will be completed by February-end. In future, delimitation will be carried out based on this Census,” Suvendu said.
Delimitation has long been viewed as a process that could substantially alter Bengal’s electoral landscape by redrawing constituency boundaries based on updated population figures.
“I feel responsible for implementing every assurance and promise made by our party, particularly those made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who showed the direction in which Bengal can progress after a change in government,” Suvendu said.
Lens on graft
Citing the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme, the chief minister claimed that scrutiny by his government bared large-scale anomalies in its beneficiary records. “The previous government provided Lakshmi Bhandar benefits to 2.2 crore. We identified 27 lakh whose names do not appear in the voter list, excluding those who have applied under the CAA. We also found around 3 lakh men receiving benefits under the scheme (exclusive to women),” he alleged.