Amit Shah to review border security in Siliguri amid focus on Northeast corridor

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will undertake a two-day visit to Siliguri on August 21-22, during which he will chair a high-level session to review border security and assess the preparedness of security forces and agencies operating in the strategically notable region.

Key points

• Shah will afterwards inaugurate an exhibition showcasing India's three new criminal laws – the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
• Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Mahesh Dixit and senior authorities from the MHA and the West Bengal administration are projected to attend the review gathering.
• The Home Minister will additionally interact with personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
• On the morning of August 22, Shah will chair the border security review session in Siliguri.
• Siliguri assumes particular strategic significance since of its location along the narrow corridor connecting the northeastern states with the rest of India.

According to authorities in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Shah will arrive in Siliguri on August 21 and attend a series of programmes focused on strengthening border management and security infrastructure. He is scheduled to inaugurate a number of projects and lay foundation stones for new initiatives aimed at improving security arrangements along India's international borders.

In practice, the Home Minister will additionally interact with personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). It is responsible for guarding 1, 751 km of the India-Nepal borders and 699 km of the India-Bhutan borders. The interaction is projected to focus on operational challenges, border management and the force's preparedness to agreement with emerging security reservations.

Siliguri assumes particular strategic significance since of its location along the narrow corridor connecting the northeastern states with the rest of India. While additionally providing connectivity to Nepal and Bhutan, the roughly 60-km-long and 22-km-wide stretch, popularly known as the "Chicken Neck", is bordered by Bangladesh to the south and west and Tibet (China) to the north.

Shah will afterwards inaugurate an exhibition showcasing India's three new criminal laws – the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. The laws replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act and came into force on July 1, 2024.

Meanwhile, the exhibition will highlight key provisions of the new legislation and their implications for India's criminal justice system. The Centre has been organising awareness programmes to familiarise citizens, law-enforcement agencies and other stakeholders with the new legal framework.

On the morning of August 22, Shah will chair the border security review session in Siliguri. The discussions are projected to examine coordination among security forces and administration agencies, assess preparedness and review the progress of ongoing infrastructure and security initiatives.

Meanwhile, the visit comes as the Centre continues to focus on strengthening border security through improved infrastructure, enhanced surveillance, modern technology and closer coordination among agencies.

In short, amit Shah to review border security in Siliguri amid focus on Northeast is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.