By Rana Ajit, IANS
New Delhi : West Bengal is reluctant to make land available to the central government for a check post at India’s border with Bangladesh as it is wary of displacing the local population there, according to official sources.
A decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to set up an integrated check post (ICP) on a top priority basis at Petrapole in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal has yet to be implemented owing to the state government’s disinclination to acquire the land identified by the central government.
The CCS in November end last year had approved an urgent plan by the union home ministry to set up 13 ICPs – housing offices and personnel of various agencies in one complex – all along the country’s territorial border with Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar.
As per the CCS decision, four of these ICPs – one each at Petrapole in West Bengal along the Bangladesh border, Moreh in Manipur along Myanmar, Raxaul in Bihar along Nepal and Attari in Punjab along Pakistan – were to be set up on a priority basis at a total cost of Rs.3.42 billion.
Even as the establishment of the ICPs in Moreh, Raxaul and Attari is progressing as per schedule, the plan for Petrapole has run aground owing to the West Bengal government’s disinclination to acquire a particular piece of land for the purpose.
“Certain preliminary issues relating to availability of land have been raised by the West Bengal government,” noted a secret home ministry document.
A senior home ministry official told IANS, “The West Bengal government is a little hesitant in acquiring the land identified by us to set up the post. They are wary of displacing the population settled near it. They are also contending that it’s agricultural land.”
“We are, however, discussing the issue with the state government,” the official added.
Even as there is a question mark on the establishment of the Petrapole ICP, the three other ICPs are progressing as per schedule. Bihar, Manipur and Punjab are already in the process of acquiring land identified by the centre to establish ICPs in the three states, the home ministry note said.
While the Bihar government has accepted Rs. 151.9 million for acquiring land at Raxaul, the Punjab government has taken an advance of Rs.120 million for acquisition of 45 acres of land at Attari near Wagah.
Explaining the need to set up ICPs at the land border of the country, the home ministry note said, “Existing infrastructure available with customs, immigration and other regulatory agencies at the entry points of our land borders is generally inadequate.
“Support facilities like warehouses, parking lots, banks, hotels, etc. are also either inadequate or absent. All regulatory and support functions are generally not available in one complex. Even when located in close proximity, there is no single agency responsible for the coordinated functioning of various government authorities and service providers,” the note added.
“To redress this situation, the government has approved the setting up of ICPs at major entry points on the land borders of the country. These ICPs would house all regulatory agencies like immigration, customs, border security etc together with support facilities like parking, warehousing, banking, hotels in a single complex equipped with all modern amenities,” the note added.
The home ministry is in the process of finalising its bill to set up the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI), which will be the notified authority to administer these check posts. The LPAI will also be empowered to notify the entry points into the country through its land and riverine border.