Kolkata, Nov 28 (IANS) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Friday, sought the observation of the West Bengal government on the issue of raising barbed-fencing along the Bangladesh border.

The division bench of Calcutta High Court’s Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen asked the West Bengal government to submit its observations to the court within the next seven days.

The division bench also observed that in the event of the court not being satisfied with the observations, there will be a sustained hearing in the matter.

The division bench also rejected the state government’s plea for postponing the hearing and observed that an indefinite period cannot be allotted as regards to treatment of such a sensitive matter.

The division bench also observed that previously too the court had sought a positive report in the matter, considering the sensitivity of the matter since barbed-fencing at the unfenced state’s international borders with Bangladesh involved the issue of national security.

On Friday, the Additional Solicitor General Ashok Chakraborty argued that although the Union Government had decided to raise barbed fencing at the unfenced borders and also allotted money for the acquisition of land at the borders, the state government had made no progress in the matter so far.

The issue of land acquisition at the state’s international borders with Bangladesh had been a long, contentious issue with the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Union government having accused the state government of non-cooperation in the matter.

Even the BJP had accused the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress of neglecting such an issue, which involved the matter of national security.

–IANS

src/dan