Siliguri, Aug 21 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to attend a series of programmes in West Bengal's Siliguri on Friday, with border security and awareness about the country's new criminal laws on the agenda, officials said.
Shah is scheduled to visit the SSB Frontier Headquarters in Siliguri around 11:15 am, where he will unveil various infrastructure projects of the border guarding force and interact with its personnel.
He will also participate in a traditional "Bara Khana" with SSB personnel.
Shah is scheduled to attend a programme at Kawakhali Ground around 2:30 pm in connection with an exhibition on the three new criminal laws -- the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
The three laws came into force on July 1, 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act.
The exhibition, titled "Five Pillars: Transformed Justice System", is being held at Kawakhali from August 21 to 26 to familiarise people with the new criminal justice framework.
Shah's visit assumes significance given the city's strategic location near the borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh and the importance of the Siliguri Corridor, popularly known as the "Chicken's Neck", which connects the northeastern states with the rest of the country.
The Home Minister is also scheduled to attend security-related meetings during his three-day visit.
A high-level border security review meeting is expected to be held on Saturday, with a focus on coordination among the BSF, SSB, intelligence agencies and the state authorities.
Shah arrived at Bagdogra on Thursday evening and was received at the airport by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, BJP MP Raju Bista and minister Shankar Ghosh, among others.
His engagements in Siliguri are part of the Centre's efforts to strengthen border management and security infrastructure in the strategically important region.
