To manage growing movement and congestion, the West Bengal government is exploring setting up holding centres near the Petrapole border with Bangladesh.
Key Points
- A government housing facility at Pirojpur is being considered as a potential holding centre location.
- The initiative aims to ensure efficient handling of situations and maintain order in sensitive border zones.
- The move follows increased activity at Petrapole, one of India's busiest land ports.
- The state government has directed officials to create infrastructure for housing apprehended and released foreign prisoners.
The West Bengal government is considering setting up holding centres near Petrapole border in North 24 Parganas district, an official said on Thursday.
A government housing facility at Pirojpur near the Petrapole border with Bangladesh is being considered as a possible holding centre, he said, adding that the authorities are also surveying suitable land in the Jayantipur area for a similar purpose.
Senior police and civil administration officials on Thursday visited the government housing complex at Pirojpur as part of the inspection process.
Assessing infrastructure for holding arrangements
"A preliminary assessment is being carried out to identify suitable infrastructure for temporary holding arrangements if the need arises. Multiple locations are being examined, keeping administrative and security requirements in mind," the senior bureaucrat said.
Though officials did not specify the exact reason behind the move, sources indicated that the initiative comes amid growing movement and congestion in border-adjacent areas.
Maintaining order in border zones
"The idea is to ensure that adequate arrangements are in place to handle any situation efficiently and maintain order in sensitive border zones," the bureaucrat added.
Petrapole, one of the busiest land ports in the country, has witnessed increased activity in recent weeks, prompting heightened administrative attention in surrounding areas, he stated.
No formal announcement has yet been made regarding the operationalisation of any holding centre, the official added.
Existing holding centres and future plans
The West Bengal government has already set similar holding centres in Malda and Murshidabad districts. Some Bangladeshis who have illegally entered the country have been arrested and kept there.
The state Home and Hill Affairs Department's Foreigners' Branch on May 23 directed the district magistrates to create the infrastructure required to house "apprehended foreigners" and "released foreign prisoners" until deportation formalities are completed.
Though framed as a procedural exercise aligned with central guidelines, the directive comes days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly rolled out a tougher anti-infiltration framework and declared that his government had adopted a "detect, delete and deport" policy, a phrase long embedded in the BJP's Bengal vocabulary on infiltration and border politics.
