West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited a Border Security Force camp and Hingalganj police station along the India-Bangladesh border on Sunday, announcing a new state honour for border personnel and calling for closer coordination between the BSF and state police.
Adhikari spent time with personnel of the BSF’s 74 Battalion at its camp in Hingalganj during Diwali before travelling by speedboat on the Ichamati river. He later inaugurated a Kali Puja at the Hingalganj police station and held a meeting with police and administrative officials, according to a report by Anandabazar.
The chief minister said the state would introduce the ‘Seema Mitra Samman’ from next year to recognise what he described as outstanding work in protecting the country’s borders. The recipients will be selected by a committee, and the honour will be open to personnel of the BSF, Sashastra Seema Bal and West Bengal Police.
The announcement places state recognition alongside the operational responsibilities of central and state agencies working along the border. Adhikari praised BSF and police personnel for remaining on duty during festivals while families and other residents celebrated. He said visiting them as chief minister was part of his responsibility.
During the visit, the chief minister also spoke about coordination between the BSF and the state police. He claimed that coordination had been weak under the previous government but said the situation had changed under the current administration. The report quoted him as saying that coordination under the director general of police was now strong.
The visit also included discussions with the BSF about fencing along the Ichamati river. The river forms part of the border landscape in the Hingalganj area, where water channels and settlements make surveillance and physical demarcation an administrative and logistical issue.
After travelling on a BSF speedboat, Adhikari said he had used binoculars to observe the opposite bank and alleged that people were waiting for an opportunity to enter India. He said the state would not allow infiltrators to remain in West Bengal and that searches were being conducted along a 15-kilometre stretch. These were statements made by the chief minister during the visit; the report did not provide independent figures on infiltration or details of specific arrests.
The visit began after Adhikari arrived at a temporary helipad at Hingalganj College before travelling by road to the BSF camp. He later paid tribute to former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani on the occasion of his 100th birth anniversary. The state’s proposed award and the discussions on fencing are expected to be taken forward through the announced selection process and coordination between the BSF, police and local administration.
