The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed setting up around 40 permanent Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) office-cum-residential campuses across West Bengal's border districts with Bangladesh. The move aims to strengthen intelligence operations, improve surveillance, and enhance security along the international border. The proposed project will require nearly 50 acres of land and forms part of the Centre's broader effort to reinforce border management.

The Ministry has suggested building permanent campuses for the SIB in sensitive border districts. Each campus will require between one and one-and-a-half acres of land. Together, the project will need around 50 acres. At present, most SIB units in West Bengal operate from rented buildings, except in Kolkata. Permanent facilities will provide a more secure working environment and help maintain confidentiality during intelligence operations.

Officials from the Union Home Ministry and the West Bengal Home Department have already held a high-level meeting to discuss the proposal. Both sides reviewed the land requirement and discussed possible ways to speed up the project. The Centre has shown its willingness to purchase land if required. At the same time, the state government is exploring the option of allotting vested government-owned land for the project. This approach could help complete the land transfer process more quickly.

Once the land is identified and officially handed over, the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau will take charge of developing the required infrastructure. The agency will independently construct office buildings, residential facilities, and other operational structures needed for its functioning.

The proposal comes at a time when security agencies have raised concerns over the India-Bangladesh border. Reports of infiltration, cross-border smuggling, and activities linked to foreign intelligence agencies have increased the need for stronger surveillance. The Centre wants to improve intelligence gathering and strengthen monitoring in these sensitive areas through permanent SIB establishments.

The new campuses are expected to improve intelligence collection and allow faster sharing of information with both central and state authorities. They will also strengthen coordination with law enforcement agencies operating in border districts. Security agencies believe this improved network will help identify threats at an early stage and support quicker responses whenever required.

The Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and serves as India's primary domestic intelligence agency. It monitors internal security threats, gathers intelligence, and provides security clearances for sensitive government projects. Permanent campuses will improve the agency's efficiency and reduce the security risks linked to rented premises, where confidentiality can become difficult to maintain.

The proposed expansion also complements recent steps taken to strengthen physical border infrastructure. The West Bengal government recently handed over 142.79 acres of land to the Border Security Force for the construction of border outposts and barbed-wire fencing across nine districts. This development supports the Centre's larger plan to improve security along the India-Bangladesh border.

The nine districts included in the border infrastructure project are Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, and North 24 Parganas. These districts share a long stretch of the international border and remain strategically important for border security operations.

The India-Bangladesh border stretches for 2,217 kilometres, and nearly 600 kilometres of it still remains unfenced. Security agencies have continued efforts to improve infrastructure along these vulnerable stretches. The construction of new border outposts and fencing aims to strengthen monitoring and support round-the-clock surveillance.

Officials believe that the combined expansion of Border Security Force infrastructure and the establishment of permanent SIB campuses will significantly improve intelligence sharing and security coordination. The strengthened network will support continuous surveillance and help curb infiltration, smuggling, and other illegal cross-border activities more effectively.

The move also addresses delays that have affected several border infrastructure projects in the past. Land acquisition disputes and objections from local residents had slowed the construction of security facilities in several areas. By identifying suitable land in advance and creating permanent establishments, the Centre hopes to reduce such delays and improve operational preparedness.

The Centre's latest proposal reflects a two-fold strategy to strengthen national security along the Bangladesh border. One part focuses on expanding physical infrastructure through border fencing and Border Security Force outposts. The other focuses on strengthening intelligence capabilities through permanent Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau campuses. Together, these measures are expected to create a stronger security framework in West Bengal, which shares the longest border with Bangladesh, while improving surveillance, intelligence gathering, and coordination among security agencies.