After CRPF, CISF DIG visits closed Hindustan Cables
The Statesman | 14 June 2025
Following the visit of a DIG-rank officer from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), a deputy inspector general of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has now inspected the closed factory of Hindustan Cables Limited (HCL) in Rupnarayanpur, located in West Burdwan district of West Bengal.
This site remains the only closed Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) in the state witnessing notable recent developments. Several years ago, the Ordnance Factory Board under the ministry of defence had also expressed interest in utilising the vast unused assets of HCL at this location.
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Last month, a CRPF delegation visited the closed HCL factory twice within a week, inspecting both the factory premises and the township. Nadim Ahmed Ansari, DIG of CRPF (New Delhi), conducted both visits during the first week of May. Upon returning, he reportedly submitted his findings in New Delhi.
Yesterday, a high-level CISF team, led by DIG Probodh Chandra of the CISF unit at IISCO Steel Plant, Burnpur, visited the HCL site. The team conducted an inspection and held a closed-door meeting with factory officials.
Both CRPF and CISF officers held discussions with R N Ojha, the local HCL official at Rupnarayanpur. They reviewed official documents and assessed the potential reuse of the premises. It is believed that the infrastructure—such as training camps, shooting ranges, parade grounds, and residential quarters—could be repurposed for personnel of the CRPF, CISF, or both.
Sources suggest that the ministry of home affairs is keen in the factory land and township of this defunct CPSU. The visiting team also captured high-resolution photographs and video footage of key facilities, including the administrative building, R&D centre, guest high school, high school, Urvashi cinema hall, Hansipahari Ground, local market, ITI, and Shalimar area.
Strategically located in the industrial belt of eastern India, Rupnarayanpur lies adjacent to major industrial cities such as Durgapur, Raniganj, Asansol, Dhanbad, Bokaro, and Jharia, spanning West Bengal and Jharkhand. The location further adds to the site’s attractiveness for redevelopment.
The West Bengal government has also shown interest in repurposing the idle infrastructure. The district magistrate of West Burdwan, S Ponnambalam, has recently compiled a land bank listing the available land from defunct public sector factories in the district.
Hindustan Cables Limited in Rupnarayanpur has a land bank of 947.23 acres. The factory was officially shut down in 2017, and all its employees have since opted for a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS).