Bhawani Bhavan in Alipore. A Telegraph picture

Bhawani Bhavan is set to become the state police’s Lalbazar.

The state government wants the offices of all the senior officers of Bengal police to be housed in the Belvedere Road building, just like Lalbazar is the Calcutta police hub.

Bhawani Bhavan is currently the headquarters of the state police’s criminal investigation department (CID). The other offices it houses include those of the state human rights commission, minorities commission, minorities finance and development corporation and the co-operative service commission.

Senior Bengal police officers have surveyed the Alipore address along with officials of the public works department and prepared a preliminary report on the basis of their findings.

“The offices of senior state police officers are now at various corners of Writers’ Buildings. Most of the offices close by 7.30pm. How can the police directorate of Bengal shut down in the evening? So we have decided to utilise the space on the four floors of Bhawani Bhavan to house the offices of state police,” said a senior public works department official.

Apart from the CID headquarters, offices of the armed police, traffic department, the inspector general of south Bengal and deputy inspector general (Presidency Range) are at Bhawani Bhavan.

“The official residence of the director-general of police is close to Bhawani Bhavan. The office of the district police superintendent of South 24-Parganas is in the same compound. It makes perfect sense to make it the headquarters of the state police,” said a senior officer.

Over several meetings, the state police bosses have outlined the immediate requirements in terms of logistics and infrastructure. The public works department has accordingly drawn up a plan and is scheduled to start work soon.

The need for a headquarters was felt during Operation Lalgarh in 2009 and during the Assembly polls this year when senior CID officers and the police bosses at Writers’ Buildings had to co-ordinate with each other and with the heads of central forces round the clock.

“The matter was discussed during the first meeting of the state police bosses with chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Writers’ Buildings. Senior officials of the public works department were asked to look for options. Bhawani Bhavan emerged as the best bet,” said a senior IPS officer.

According to a preliminary plan, the offices at Bhawani Bhavan, other than those of the state police, would be shifted to Jessop Building on Strand Road. It houses offices of the panchayat and rural development and fisheries departments and the district election office of Calcutta North.

Some of the offices might be shifted to Salt Lake.