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Kolkata, Jun 7 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said around 4,800 illegal immigrants have been sent to Bangladesh from holding centres set up in the state's border districts, and 836 such people are awaiting deportation from these facilities.

Adhikari asserted that illegal immigration was a big issue, and said his government has already handed over land to the BSF to erect around 100 km of fencing, out of the 556 km required to secure the India-Bangladesh border.

The land handover is a continuous process and is necessary for the security of the country, he said, adding that securing the international boundary is the state government's priority.

"We have handed over to the BSF around 100 km stretch of land out of 556 km required for fencing, and prioritised the Chicken's Neck corridor in north Bengal," the chief minister said, while addressing a preparatory meeting for the BJP's special training camp.

The ‘Chicken’s Neck’, officially known as the Siliguri Corridor, is a narrow stretch of land- about 20-22 km wide and nearly 60 km long- in north Bengal that connects the rest of India with the northeastern states. It is considered a critical and sensitive lifeline from both security and strategic perspectives.

West Bengal, among all the states, shares the longest international boundary with Bangladesh, stretching 2,217 km, out of a total of 4,096 km.

Emphasising that his government has started deporting illegal immigrants, who do not fall under the Citizenship Amendment Act, as per a law of the Union government, Adhikari said, "These people are being handed over to the BSF directly." Though the law was applied in other states of the country, the previous Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal did not implement it, he said, adding that illegal immigrants were kept in the state's jails and had availed facilities at the taxpayers' expense.

"Around 4,800 illegal immigrants have been sent back from holding centres set up in the state's border districts," Adhikari said, adding that 836 such people are awaiting deportation from these facilities.

Pointing to the flow of people at the Hakimpur border in North 24 Parganas district, Adhikari said many illegal immigrants have already left on their own.

"The demography of Bengal has changed," the chief minister claimed, adding that the BJP had made infiltration from Bangladesh and demographic change the biggest issues in the West Bengal assembly election, and accused the Mamata Banerjee-led party of being complacent on both issues for political reasons.

Alleging that the census work had not been started in the state by the previous TMC dispensation, Adhikari said the BJP government has commenced the process and that house surveys will take place from August 1 to 15.

"The census will be completed by the end of next February, and delimitation will be held based on it," the chief minister said.

He said the government has already transferred Rs 3,000 each to 50 lakh women in the state under the Annapurna Yojana scheme, in keeping with the BJP's poll promise for doubling the financial assistance they enjoyed under the Lakshmir Bhandar of the TMC government.

"On the very first day, we gave the Annapurna Yojana benefit to 28,25,769 women, which is our biggest achievement," Adhikari said.

Pointing to criticisms from some quarters about the 12-page application form for the Annapurna Yojana beneficiaries, he said, "The money to be given is from the government exchequer. So it has to be properly verified." The chief minister alleged that 27 lakh names out of 2.2 crore Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries were not on the voter list, adding that "three lakh more are males who took advantage" of the women-only welfare scheme.

He termed this irregularity as "dangerous corruption".

"Over the next 50 years, the government will benefit from the transparent process we adopted," Adhikari said.

Maintaining that even men took widow allowance in the state during the TMC regime, the CM said, "It seems the Brigade Parade Grounds will have to be turned into a jail." "Stench is coming from every place you investigate," the chief minister lamented about corruption charges erupting from different places in the state against TMC functionaries.

A large number of criminal cases have been lodged over corruption and extortion charges against leaders and public representatives of the TMC since the fall of the Mamata Banerjee government, and many of them, including sitting and former MLAs, councillors and others have been arrested by the police.

Criticising the TMC for its campaign that Bengal's fish-loving people would be deprived of the delicacies if the BJP came to power in the state, Adhikari said his government will provide fish meals twice a week starting next week at Rs 5 per person.

Maintaining that his government has many more plans for the benefit of the people, the chief minister said, "We will announce those during the presentation of the state Budget on June 22." Adhikari said that on the directive of the PM, all central ministries are giving all possible assistance to West Bengal.

On Monday, the state will sign an agreement with the central government for the Ayushman Bharat scheme in New Delhi's Vigyan Bhavan.

"Around 1.46 crore families, comprising nearly 6.5 crore individuals, will get Ayushman Bharat card, providing them with free healthcare up to Rs five lakh a year," he said.

Adhikari further said that the Union Health Ministry has sanctioned Rs 4,500 crore for the state under the National Health Mission, of which his government has already received Rs 527 crore.

"You will soon see a massive change in the state's healthcare sector," the chief minister said, adding that the 125-day job guarantee scheme and PM Awaas Yojana will also be implemented in the state with renewed vigour.

He assured that the government will make announcements regarding dearness allowance for the state government employees in the upcoming budget.

Noting that the 7th pay commission for the state's employees has been set up by his government, Adhikari said arrears of dearness allowance between 2016 and 2019 have been paid to nearly 3 lakh employees and pensioners. PTI AMR BDC

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)