Land acquisition for setting up fencing along the West Bengal-Bangladesh border is at various stages of implementation for about 229 km, while the State government is yet to initiate the process for 148 km. Details on the land acquisition along the West Bengal-Bangladesh border were tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in response to a question on Wednesday. The MHA informed the Parliament that the total length of the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal is 2,216.7 km, out of which 1,647.696 km had been covered by a fence. “Out of balance stretch of 569.004 km, which is yet to be covered by fence and other border infrastructure works, 112.780 km is non-feasible and 456.224 km is feasible,” the response said. The Home Ministry pointed out that out of the 456.224 km feasible length of the International Border in West Bengal, land for 77.935 km has been handed over to the executing agency. “For the balance stretch of 378.289 km, land acquisition is yet to be initiated for 148.971 km by the State government. The remaining land for 229.318 km is in various stages of land acquisition..,” the response to a question by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Shambhu Sharan Patel and Neeraj Shekhar stated. Timely land acquisition payments as per norms were being released, and payment had already been made for 181.635 km, but the land was yet to be handed over by the State, the MHA said. On the steps to expedite land acquisition, the MHA said regular meetings and reviews with the State government, and visits to the State to review and coordinate for ironing out challenges, if any, were being carried out. Fencing along the porous West Bengal-Bangladesh border assumes significance as the debate over alleged illegal infiltration from Bangladesh has been raging for quite some time. Over the past few months, thousands of migrant workers from West Bengal have been detained in several States on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. Criminal gangs facilitating infiltration have been active along both sides of the unfenced border.