Amit Shah to attend SSB, border security programmes in Siliguri

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend programmes in Siliguri on Friday during his three-day West Bengal visit. His schedule includes SSB infrastructure projects, interaction with personnel, an exhibition on new criminal laws and reviews of border security arrangements

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to attend a series of programmes in Siliguri on Friday as part of his three-day visit to West Bengal, with the day’s agenda focused on the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), border security and awareness about India’s new criminal laws.

Shah will visit the SSB Frontier Headquarters in Siliguri on Friday, where he will attend the inauguration and foundation-laying ceremonies for various infrastructure projects of the force. He will also interact with SSB personnel during his visit to the headquarters. As part of his engagement with the soldiers, the Home Minister will participate in a “Bara Khana” with SSB personnel.

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The traditional communal meal will be part of his interaction with the security force during the Siliguri programme. The first major programme is scheduled at the SSB Frontier Headquarters at around 11:15 am. Later in the day, Shah will attend an event at Kawakhali Ground in Siliguri linked to an exhibition on the country’s three new criminal laws.

The programme is scheduled for around 2:30 pm and will include an exhibition and public programme focusing on the new legal framework. The three new criminal laws are the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). They came into force on July 1, 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act.

Another programme listed for Friday is a meeting at Hotel Mayfair in Siliguri at around 4:20 pm, described as a review meeting regarding the helpline. A key aspect of Shah’s three-day Bengal visit is the review of security arrangements around the strategically important Siliguri Corridor, popularly known as the “Chicken’s Neck”. The narrow corridor is crucial for connectivity between the rest of the country and the northeastern states. The Home Minister is also expected to chair a border-security review meeting on August 22.

Shah had arrived in West Bengal on Thursday evening. His Friday schedule places SSB infrastructure, interaction with security personnel, the new criminal laws and security-related meetings at the centre of his engagements in Siliguri.