New Delhi, March 18 A leader from the Trinamool Congress has written to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, highlighting the large, unfenced stretches along key international borders in West Bengal, and raising concerns about the expanded jurisdiction of the Border Security Force in the state, among other issues, according to a source.
Two letters have been written to Agrawal, which also expressed concerns about the implementation of schemes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, particularly those related to women's safety, border management, police modernization, and pending disaster relief dues, the source said.
It has been pointed out that 371.58 km of the India-Bangladesh border remains unfenced, while fencing along the India-Myanmar border covers only 44 km of the approved 1,643 km.
Concerns have also been raised over a 2021 notification extending the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) to 50 km inside international borders, bringing large parts of border regions under the Central force's ambit.
Reference has also been made to the Supreme Court's ruling in the Naga People's Movement of Human Rights vs Union of India (1997) case, with it being argued that Central forces should operate in cooperation with the civil administration, and not supplant it.
The underutilisation of funds in key schemes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, particularly those related to women's safety, has also been flagged, the source said.
The letters express concern over the Nirbhaya Fund remaining unspent.
"The underutilisation of funds in these critical schemes raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of measures intended to enhance women's safety and strengthen forensic capabilities," one of the letters said.
It also flagged that only about 50 per cent of the allocation for modernization of forensic capacities has been spent, while utilisation under schemes for upgrading Central Forensic Science Laboratories and the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme stands at 18.5 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.
The Trinamool leader also claimed that the Union government owes West Bengal Rs 53,696 crore under various disaster management heads, including funds related to cyclones such as Amphan, Yaas and Bulbul, as well as floods, landslides and other calamities.
"Given the frequency and severity of disasters in the region, timely disbursement of these funds is essential to support rehabilitation, infrastructure rebuilding and disaster preparedness," the letter said.