Land for BSF, census, job age-limit relaxed: First decisions by Adhikari cabinet

The meeting was attended by five ministers: Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Nisith Pramanik and Kshudiram Tudu

The Suvendu Adhikari-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal on Monday announced a series of significant measures, including transfer of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for setting up fences along the Bangladesh border, immediate implementation of the Census exercise, and state’s induction into the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme. The decisions were taken during the first cabinet meeting chaired by Adhikari.

Newly elected West Bengal's chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari (C), along with his cabinet ministers. (AFP)

Implementing promises made by Union home minister Amit Shah to seal the country’s porous borders with Bangladesh to curb illegal cross-border migration, the Adhikari-led cabinet approved transferring land to the BSF for setting up border fences.

“The transfer process will begin immediately, and the cabinet has empowered the chief secretary and the secretary of the state’s land and land revenue department to complete the process within 45 days,” he said at Nabanna, the state secretariat. West Bengal shares a 2,216.7 km border with Bangladesh, of which about 569 km remains unfenced, officials said.

Approving the immediate launch of the census process in the state, the CM alleged that although the Centre notified the TMC government on June 25, 2025 that the process of conducting the census should be started, it was not done.

Another key announcement was the state’s induction into central schemes. “We are now part of Ayushman Bharat, as per the PM’s commitment...,” he said, adding that all central schemes would be implemented immediately.

The Ayushman Bharat and PM Jan Arogya Yojana aim to provide cashless hospitalisation coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year to the poor. The TMC, instead, had launched its own Swasthya Sathi scheme for a similar cash insurance limit. He added that the new government would not discontinue any existing state schemes, but it will “identify and remove those who are undeserving, like the dead and non-Indians”.

Fulfilling another pre-poll promise, Adhikari announced the relaxation in the upper age limit for candidates appearing in government job examinations by five years. It would now allow applicants in the general category a relaxation till 45 years from the current age cap of 40, and those in the SC, ST and OBC categories to apply for jobs till 48 years of age from the current limit of 43, officials said.

Adhikari alleged that while the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were yet to be officially promulgated in Bengal, and now “the cabinet has cleared their implementation”.

Separately, the new CM ordered a crackdown on illegal sand, coal and stone trades in every district and terminated the services of all officers re-appointed by the previous Mamata Banerjee government after their retirement, said, officials who attended a series of meetings chaired by Adhikari.

A decision was also taken to immediately terminate the services of state-nominated members, directors and chairpersons of various boards, organisations, public sector organisations and non-statutory bodies. The order, seen by HT, was sent to all departments and district magistrates.

“He said TMC-era practices such as using sentences like ‘with permission from the honourable chief minister’ before every announcement must stop. The CM said there should be no restriction on normal traffic during his movements,” said a second officer.

HT reached out to TMC but did not receive a response till the time of print.