Howrah: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that the state cabinet has approved the transfer of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing work along the Bangladesh border, marking a major policy shift in the state’s border management and security approach.

Addressing reporters after chairing the first cabinet meeting of his government, Adhikari said the process of handing over land for border fencing in Bengal’s bordering districts has been initiated amid concerns over changing demographic patterns. He said the Chief Secretary and the state land and land revenue department have been directed to complete the land transfer process within 45 days.

The meeting, attended by the five ministers sworn in so far, also cleared the immediate implementation of the Census exercise in West Bengal and approved the rollout of multiple central government schemes, including Ayushman Bharat.

The Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme offers cashless hospitalisation coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually for poor and vulnerable households requiring secondary and tertiary healthcare services.

Adhikari alleged that the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government had delayed the Census process despite receiving a June 16, 2025 communication from the Office of the Registrar General of India under the Union Home Ministry.

According to the chief minister, the delay is affecting the implementation of women’s reservation provisions. He said the cabinet has now granted immediate approval for the circular to take effect in West Bengal.

The latest Census update is expected to become a major political talking point in Bengal, especially ahead of future electoral exercises and debates around population data, reservation, and governance.

What did the cabinet decide on Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita?

In another key development, Adhikari claimed that the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the new criminal law framework replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), had not been formally implemented by the previous regime in the state.

He said the first cabinet meeting of the new government has now officially approved the implementation of the BNS in West Bengal.

The decisions taken during the meeting signal the government’s push to align the state more closely with central policies on border security, welfare schemes, Census operations, and criminal law reforms.

With PTI inputs