CM Suvendu clears land for BSF, Ayushman Bharat rollout in first cabinet meeting

In his first Cabinet meeting after coming to power in the State, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday (May 11) announced that the state government has given its nod to the transfer of land to the BSF for putting up fencing along the Bangladesh border.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Chief Minister further stated that the process of transferring land to the BSF would be initiated on Monday and would be completed within 45 days.

Adhikari announced that the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat health scheme and several other schemes of the Union government will be implemented in the State. He further stated that the state would join central schemes, including PM Jan Arogya Yojana & PM Vishwakarma.

Nod to land transfer to BSF

"The West Bengal government gave a nod to the transfer of land to the BSF for fencing the border with Bangladesh. The process starts from today and will be completed within 45 days," Adhikari told reporters.

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The cabinet also approved a proposal for a five-year extension in the age limit of school job applicants, as promised by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the poll campaign, he said.

"The Bengal cabinet empowers the chief secretary to take steps to initiate central government training for officers under the national and state cadres," Adhikari said.

Bengal implements BNS

Alleging that the previous government did not implement the BNS in violation of the Constitution, he said the cabinet decided to implement the criminal law in the state.

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"The previous government ignored the June 2025 Census circular from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Bengal cabinet granted immediate implementation of it," he added.

The Chief Minister further stated that the meeting, where senior officials were present, focused on development initiatives of the BJP's "double-engine government."

Development focus

"The first cabinet meeting with all concerned officials went well. We assure the people of Bengal that the double-engine government will complete all development-related works. Six decisions were taken during our first cabinet meeting," he said as quoted by ANI.

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As for political violence in the state, the Chief Minister said that the state government was ready to probe the cases linked to the deaths of party workers "political struggles", subject to the approval of the affected families.

"Regarding the 321 individuals who lost their lives during our struggle: if their families desire, the government will initiate an investigation," added Adhikari.

Law and order review

The Chief Minister in a post on X said that the meeting was attended by senior government officials, including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police and Kolkata Police Commissioner, to assess the law-and-order situation in the state.

“We discussed key Administrative priorities to ensure the safety and prosperity of every citizen in West Bengal. Our commitment to transparent and efficient Governance remains absolute,” he added.

(With agency inputs)