West Bengal deports 4,800 illegal immigrants to Bangladesh, 836 await repatriation

The West Bengal government has said that around 4,800 illegal immigrants have been sent back to Bangladesh from holding centres in border districts, while another 836 individuals remain in custody awaiting deportation.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari shared the figures on Sunday while addressing a preparatory meeting for the BJP's special training camp, where he highlighted border security and illegal immigration as key areas of focus.

The remarks come amid renewed focus on the India-Bangladesh border and the strategically important Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the Chicken's Neck, which links India's northeastern states with the rest of the country.

Deportation drive and border security measures

Speaking about the government's actions against illegal immigration, Adhikari said those who do not qualify under the Citizenship Amendment Act are being handed over directly to the Border Security Force in accordance with Union government guidelines.

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He alleged that previous administrations had failed to act despite existing provisions, allowing illegal immigrants to remain in state-run facilities.

"Around 4,800 illegal immigrants have been sent back from holding centres in border districts, while 836 are awaiting deportation," he said.

Referring to the Hakimpur border in North 24 Parganas district, Adhikari claimed that a number of undocumented immigrants had left on their own following the government's enforcement efforts.

Census exercise and demographic concerns

The chief minister said demographic changes had emerged as a significant political issue in the state and described infiltration from Bangladesh as a major factor in the BJP's Assembly election campaign.

He announced that census-related work had begun and said a house-to-house survey would be conducted between August 1 and August 15.

According to Adhikari, the census process is expected to conclude by the end of February next year, after which delimitation will take place.

Welfare schemes under spotlight

Highlighting the government's welfare initiatives, Adhikari said 50 lakh women have received Rs 3,000 each under the Annapurna Yojana, introduced after the BJP's election promise to enhance financial assistance beyond the previous government's Lakshmir Bhandar scheme.

He said more than 28 lakh women benefited on the first day of the programme's rollout.

Defending the verification process used to identify beneficiaries, Adhikari said public funds should be distributed only after proper scrutiny.

He alleged that around 27 lakh names listed under Lakshmir Bhandar were absent from electoral rolls and claimed that nearly three lakh men had received benefits under the women-only scheme.

Describing the alleged irregularities as "dangerous corruption", he said the verification exercise would improve transparency and strengthen welfare delivery.