WB CM instructs officials to ensure that BSF sticks to jurisdiction

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee instructed civil and police officials in the state to learn from the killing of innocent civilians in Nagaland and ensure that the Border Security Force (BSF) does not operate beyond its jurisdiction in the state.

Banerjee was addressing an administrative review meeting of North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts of North Bengal.

She said that the BSF has been crossing its jurisdiction limits, without informing the state police. She said at the meeting that the BSF frequents villages and that there are many complaints of torture by them of ordinary people. “The BSF personnel come at voters’ queues during elections,” she stated and asked senior police officers whether they had taken up the matter with the BSF Director General.

She reminded the officials that the BSF is meant to operate within a jurisdiction of 15 km from the border in the two districts, only after informing the state police.  “Yet, they sneak in everywhere without informing the West Bengal police. Recently, three people were shot dead in Cooch Behar. Even the incident of Nagaland is before us,” she said and added that she did not want any confrontation.

The Chief Minister sternly told the police officers in charge of police stations not to allow the BSF to encroach upon their jurisdiction.