Kolkata: In view of the increased work pressure and staff strength against backdrop of the agency’s involvement in many high profile cases in West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is increasing its office space and adding additional infrastructure in its existing facilities at Central Government Office (CGO) complex at Salt Lake in northern Kolkata.
ED sources said that currently the agency has two facilities in two separate buildings within the CGO complex. However, following the increased pressure of high- profile investigations, there had been an increase in the staff strength at these two offices. Often the investigating officers have to take high-profile persons into custody for questioning and for that purpose they are required to set up make-shift lockups in the existing facilities, which is a matter of immense inconvenience.
So, the ED authorities have decided to occupy the space vacated by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation, whose majority staff has moved to the organisation’s own office elsewhere in Salt Lake only. This new space will be renovated to be mainly used for setting up lockups for housing those detained by the ED sleuths for the purpose of interrogation.
At the same time, sources said, all the facilities of the agency within the CGO complex will be wrapped under strict surveillance of multiple CCTVs in each facility.
ED sleuths are currently involved in the investigation of a number of high-profile cases like teacher’s recruitment scam, coal smuggling scam, cattle smuggling scam, hawala scam, and chit fund scams. ED sleuths feel that their activities will increase manifold in the coming days and additional staff will join the Salt Lake facilities and hence the agency has resorted to adding to the office space.
(IANS)
