Tuesday, January 3 2006 13:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tinbigha (Coochbehar): Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today (Jan 03, 2006) visited the Tinbigha Corridor in West Bengal connecting Bangladesh to review the fencing work and visited Indian and Bangaldeshi outposts on the border.

An IAF helicopter from Siliguri, visited the last Indian Border outpost, Bheem, where he was given a guard of honour by the Border Security Force jawans.

Patil reviewed the border situation with the BSF Director General Moshahari.

From Tinbigha, the Union minister crossed over to neighbouring Bangladesh paying a courtesy visit to Bangladesh's Panbari checkpost where he spoke to the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Director General besides, other top BDR officials.

Earlier, Patil was welcomed by the Coochbehar district magistrate, Ravi Inder Singh when he arrived at Tinbigha at around 9.30 a.m.

The union minister however, did not divulge what had transpired at the talks with the BDR officials to newsmen before emplaning for Haldibari, a bordering area.

Patil, who reached Siliguri yesterday, is on a three-day trip to North Bengal.

The Union minister, addressed the BSF rank and file at the North Bengal frontier of BSF headquarters at Kadamtala yesterday.