Centre to send BSNL Alipore factory under hammer, floats global tender

Kolkata: The Central government’s National Land Monetization Corporation Limited (NLMC) has begun the process for monetising 52,178 sq mtr of its BSNL Telecom Factory in Alipore, Kolkata by floating global tenders for the same.

According to a Request for Proposal issued by NLMC for monetising non-core assets of BSNL, it is inviting international bids from the empanelled International Property Consultancy (IPC) firms.

It was learnt that the 52,178 sq mtr, including 10,014 sq mtr of heritage building area, of the property located at 248 AJC Bose Road, Alipore Kolkata will go under the hammer. The property is bounded by AJC Bose Road on the north, Tolly canal on the south, Police Training School on the east and Alipore Road on the west.

The property is freehold and is owned by BSNL for ‘Dwelling house’. The year of construction of the admin/engineering building, plant and shed and security rest room is 1947 and the sub-station and boundary wall is 1982.

The Alipore factory, once a hub for manufacturing telecom equipment like handsets and boxes, now primarily

produces PLB pipes used in optical fibre cable (OFC) installations. This operation will be shifted to BSNL’s Kharagpur unit, the company’s largest facility in Bengal. The Gopalpur factory has already been closed, and the Alipore factory will cease operations once a bidder is finalised.

It was learnt that efforts to monetise BSNL’s assets in Kolkata and its suburbs have faced challenges. Previous attempts to sell properties in Barrackpore and Madhyamgram failed due to a lack of bidders, despite multiple rounds of the process.

Key points highlighted for the project is its close proximity to Kolkata airport, a Railway station and a bus terminus.

Real estate players in Kolkata have given positive responses to the development. Many have said that the site is suitable for ‘mix-use development’. The market value of the plot is said to be approximately Rs 1,900 crore. Hence, this can be easily referred to as the largest real estate transaction in the city since sources have said that a plot here usually sells at Rs 3 crore per cottah. Some of the renowned real estate builders have welcomed such a move, saying such prime plots need to be unlocked.