On March 12, 2025, Governor of West Bengal, Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose, visited the operational areas of the 41st Battalion, Rani Danga, deployed along the India-Nepal border under the Siliguri Frontier Headquarters of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), covering Panitanki and Gorsing Basti.
The Governor first visited the Old Mechi Bridge under the Panitanki Border Outpost.
Sudhir Kumar, Inspector General of Siliguri Frontier, provided a detailed briefing on the India-Nepal border to the Honorable Governor. Subsequently, he visited the BIT Check Post at Panitanki and interacted with SSB personnel stationed there.
Later, he reached the Gorsing Basti Border Outpost, where he held a soldier’s conference and engaged in discussions with the troops. He praised the SSB for its crucial role in protecting national borders and commended its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty.
The Governor obtained detailed information from the officers regarding security arrangements, border management, and anti-smuggling operations. He appreciated the dedication of the soldiers working in challenging conditions and lauded their service. At the Gorsing Basti Border Outpost, he also planted a sapling as a step towards environmental conservation.
During his visit, the Governor interacted with local villagers, public representatives, and school students, providing them with information about various government schemes.
On this occasion, students of Sharda Vidya Mandir and local youth presented group dances on patriotic songs, along with captivating traditional performances of the Santhali, Rajbanshi, and Nepali communities, which the Governor highly appreciated. He also encouraged the students and youth by awarding them prizes. The SSB jazz band performed melodious music, which was widely praised.
Following this, the Governor participated in a community meal with all officers, soldiers, local villagers, and students.
Subsequently, he held a meeting with senior SSB officials on the security scenario along the India-Nepal border.
SSB Siliguri Frontier is dedicated to safeguarding the seamless, friendly, yet sensitive national borders with Nepal and Bhutan in this region.
For the year 2023-24, under the leadership of Sudhir Kumar, Inspector General of Siliguri Frontier, the 41st and 53rd Battalions were honored by Honorable Union Home Minister Amit Shah for being the best operational battalions on the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders, respectively.
Panitanki falls under the Raniganj Panchayat of Khoribari Block and Police Station in Darjeeling district. This area was historically linked to the Naxalbari region, which was the epicenter of left-wing extremism in the late 1960s. Additionally, it served as a significant base for the separatist organization Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO) in the 1990s.
The SSB Panitanki Border Outpost was established in 2007. With over 50,000 people and thousands of vehicles crossing daily, Panitanki is known as the gateway to Eastern Nepal. Situated along the banks of the Mechi River, this checkpoint lies in the strategically sensitive “Chicken Neck” region, making it highly vulnerable to cross-border crimes such as illegal infiltration, smuggling, and drug trafficking.
Over the past few years, SSB personnel at the Panitanki Check Post have apprehended hundreds of criminals and illegal infiltrators, earning recognition as the best operational border outpost. Here, the border is not marked by barbed wire or visa restrictions but by bonds of brotherhood and affinity. However, criminals and infiltrators attempt to exploit this open border for illicit activities.
Monitoring the movement of thousands of people daily and identifying infiltrators and criminals is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
The Governor’s visit has instilled new enthusiasm and motivation among SSB personnel.
(With inputs from Raj Bhavan media cell and edited by Pratyusha Mukherjee)
