ED eyes BSNL land in Chennai for new office complex

New Delhi: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is likely to acquire a 1.94-acre land parcel from state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) in Chennai for an estimated Rs 151 crore to build a new office complex, people aware of the matter said.

The proposal was discussed last month at a meeting of the Delegated Investment Board, chaired by revenue secretary Arvind Shrivastava. A final decision is expected soon, they said.

The land is located within BSNL’s Dinrose telephone exchange compound on Thayar Sahib Street in Anna Salai. ED currently operates two zonal offices in Chennai.

The planned facility reflects the agency’s growing need for office space across key locations as its role expands.

ED initiated investigations in 6,508 cases between April 2014 and December 2025 by recording enforcement case information reports, the government told the Lok Sabha in February. About 47% of these cases were launched after April 2022.

In 2022, the agency had urged the government to triple its manpower to about 6,000, citing a rise in the number and complexity of cases.

Set up in 1956, ED’s primary role is to enforce the foreign exchange law and prevent its misuse or violation. It also enforces the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

BSNL’s land monetisation

Apart from ED, the income tax and customs departments have approached BSNL for land to build office space and housing in Mumbai. In 2024-25, BSNL sold a property in Lucknow to the Income Tax Department for about Rs 229 crore.

BSNL plans to raise Rs 20,000 crore over four to five years through land monetisation. It has been asked to prioritise government organisations in such sales.

In 2023, BSNL announced e-auctions of 11 land parcels spanning 119,620 square metres across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Puducherry.