What is Chicken's Neck? Inside Suvendu Adhikari's strategic move to shield India's most vulnerable chokepoint
Siliguri Corridor: In a major geopolitical breakthrough, the Suvendu Adhikari-led West Bengal government has transferred 120 acres of land and 7 critical national highways in the sensitive Siliguri Corridor ('Chicken’s Neck') to central agencies.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsSiliguri Corridor: In a dramatic geopolitical and infrastructural shift, the recently established West Bengal Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has officially taken steps towards transferring about 120 acres of land and seven important national highways in the crucial Siliguri Corridor, which is also famously known as the "Chicken's Neck."
The bold move has made good on the key promise that was outlined in the manifesto of Adhikari and finally broken the deadlock on the issue of land transfer between the state government and the central government that had been going on for quite some time.
The handover immediately puts the maintenance, security development, and operations of the crucial transportation lifelines of the region under federal control.
7 important highways transferred under central authorities to accelerate development
Following the cabinet decision, the key transport links in the Siliguri Corridor have been handed over to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Until recently, the projects were pending approval from the state government for almost a year.
As per the new operational directive:
NHAI mandates: The Central Government shall have full control over the critical trunk highways that include NH-31, stretching from the border of Bihar/Bengal to Gazole, NH-33 up to Farakka; and NH-312 covering over 329 km in the extremely sensitive India-Bangladesh border via Basirhat and Bongaon.
NHIDCL control: This organisation shall have control over highly sensitive border highways such as the strategically important Sevoke Army Cantonment-Coronation Bridge-Sikkim border highway (NH-10), the Hasimara-Jaigaon highway that goes up to the Bhutan border, the Siliguri-Kurseong-Darjeeling hill highway, and the Changrabandha highway touching the Bangladesh border.
After obtaining formal clearance from the concerned ministries, the central government agencies are ready to upgrade and widen these roads at a much faster pace.
Why is the Siliguri Corridor called the 'Chicken's Neck'?
The Siliguri Corridor is a small piece of land in North Bengal that is approximately 60 km long. At its narrowest point, the corridor narrows down to just 20-22 km wide.
First, geographically, this territory acts as the only physical link connecting mainland India with its northeastern eight states. The corridor is referred to as "Chicken's Neck" because it is so narrow that when viewed on a map, it appears to resemble the delicate neck of the chicken connecting its body and head. The extremely narrow passage makes it one of the most geopolitically significant chokepoints in the world.
Geopolitical and national security considerations
This decision to hand over this land to the Center has huge national security ramifications. The Siliguri Corridor has a unique geographical vulnerability as it is bordered by Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the north, and Bangladesh to the south. Most importantly, it borders the highly militarised Chumbi Valley and Doklam Plateau of China.
Tactically speaking, any hostile act of blocking or disrupting this passage of just 22 kilometers in width would render the northeast region isolated from the rest of the country. In doing so, it would threaten a logistical lifeline to over 40 million people in addition to important military supply chains.
In addition, the handing over of land also serves as a follow-up to Chief Minister Adhikari's previous instruction to allocate an additional 600 acres of land near the border to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to facilitate the Border Security Force (BSF) in building border fencing to prevent any further illegal infiltration.
Economic and logistics gateway of the northeast
Aside from serving as a militarised region, the Siliguri Corridor also acts as the economic center of the region. The Corridor is home to the necessary transport corridors such as highways, railroads, power grid lines, and pipelines, including the Haldi-Barauni pipeline that delivers petroleum products from refineries to the northeastern states.
The transfer of administrative jurisdiction over the area to federal agencies ensures that development in the corridor is in line with bigger regional initiatives such as the Bharatmala Project and the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement. This facilitates the seamless exchange of international trade and connectivity.
A detailed broadcast report regarding the politics and defence implications of this policy change can be accessed through the NDTV Report on Bengal's Strategic Land Handover. The video gives vital visual information regarding the specific stretches of highways and border regions affected by the Suvendu Adhikari administration's landmark decision.