The district administration in Malda is acquiring land along the India-Bangladesh border to enable the Centre install barbed-wire fences to fortify vacant stretches.

The move, said sources in the administration, comes after the Mamata Banerjee government was repeatedly nudged by the Centre on the need for fencing to prevent infiltration and smuggling in Malda.

Some 172km-long stretch of the India-Bangla border falls in Malda, of which 34km has no fencing, BSF sources said. Border areas minus fences are mostly in Kaliachak-III, Habibpur and Bamangola blocks.

In the first phase, around 1.75 acres have been acquired in Pardeonapur-Sovapur area of Kaliachak– III block and another nine acres in Sabdalpur area of the same block, said sources.

For the first stretch, a 300-metre-long stretch would be fenced. In Sabdalpur, fences will be put up along 1.25km.

“In all, around 330 families have been compensated for this purpose,” an official said.

In Malda, smuggling of cattle, fake Indian currency notes (FICN), narcotics and firearms and ammunition is often reported from border areas. During the past few months, the Union home ministry took serious note of such activities at the border and made it clear to the state that land should be immediately acquired and handed over to the Centre for installation of fences.

“The state responded and the acquisition has started at the borders. The acquisition of another 17 acres (for putting fences along a 2.25 kilometre long stretch) in Milik-Sultanpur of Kaliachak–III block is awaiting approval of the state cabinet,” said an official at the district land and land reforms department in Malda.

In Habibpur block, around 250 acres would be acquired for fences.

“For this too, we are also waiting for the state’s approval. This is a major stretch (29km of 34km) where there are no fences at the border. Land will be acquired in areas like Tilashan and Pannapur,” the official added.

Sources in BSF said that though the state started the acquisition process, there are some stretches along the borders where no initiative has been taken so far.

“At Aiho in Habibpur block, there is a 1km-long border without fence. But no move has been made by the administration as yet. No one has an idea when this entire process will end and when the fences can be installed,” a source said.

In Malda,some areas of the India-Bangladesh border are riverine and used to smuggle cattle to Bangladesh, particularly during monsoon months.

“Here, there are proposals to raise fences along the banks of rivers and streams and put up rope bridges to check smuggling and for constant vigil,” the source added.