To rein in illegal immigration,check post brought closer to Bangla border

The previous LCS was set up at Namkhana with the immigration check post 175 kilometres from the existing LCS and now with the LCS being set up at Hemnagar,the immigration check post is just 25 kilometres from the International border of Bangaldesh.

On July 12,the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has sent a letter (memo number IWAI/KOL/HEMNAGAR /2011/12) to the state home department instructing them to shift the land custom station for security reasons. The decision was taken in a meeting with the Union Home Ministry,and to facilitate the establishment,IWAI has directed them to take the zilla parishad guest house building at Hemnagar.

Senior officials of the state home department said that the number of Bangladeshi immigrants illegally entering the country through West Bengal in the past eight months (January to July) is around 4,000,which is higher than other states like Meghalya,Assam and Tripura.

The new station will have a built-up area of 3,222 square feet area on the ground floor and a speed boat will be provided to facilitate the staff from the mainland – Dhamakhali to Hemnagar – in case of emergency.

According to the Trade Agreement protocol between Bangladesh and India,as per Clause 15 and 16 of the existing Protocol Inland Water Transit and Trade,the personnel manning vessels plying through or between the two countries shall carry certificate of employment and permits with a photograph of the concerned individual duly authenticated by the authorities to be nominated by the respective countries,and they cannot disembark the vessel unless they are sick. The LCS was thus set up exclusively to check inland vessels and crews of both the countries plying through the protocol route as per statutory requirement.

State home secretary Basudeb Banerjee admitted that the work to set up the new LCS has been started and it will be completed soon.