By Rajnish Singh
New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI): The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is expected to make its new headquarters in the national capital operational by the end of December this year, with major construction work on the 2.23-acre site nearing completion.
Located near the CGO Complex along Lala Lajpat Rai Road, the facility stands adjacent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters. The upcoming office complex is expected to ease the space constraints currently faced by the country’s largest paramilitary force, which has a strength of nearly 3.5 lakh personnel.
The new structure, with an estimated cost of Rs 277 crore and a total built-up area of 45,675 square meters, will enable its different branches like Rapid Action Force (RAF), Northern Sector, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), training, medical, works, recruitment and communication, now scattered all over New Delhi, to function under one roof.
With ground floor plus 11 upper floors and three basements, the new CRPF headquarters building includes an auditorium, conference halls, barracks, a gym, a canteen, and parking for over 500 cars. The building will have all modern facilities and green amenities, besides an effective control and command system with modern training modules for the force to enhance their operational capability. A skywalk is planned to be created on the 6th and 7th floors of the building, connecting the office blocks with the cafeteria. The building is proposed to have a water and sewage treatment plant, rainwater harvesting system and an indigenous ventilation system.
"The under-construction new CRPF headquarters building is almost on the verge of completion. We expect that the building will be ready by December this year, and the force would start functioning from there by shifting in a phased manner," an official, known for the ongoing work of the building, told ANI.
"Soon after the completion of the new headquarters building-- a number of its offices, like those of the RAF, CoBRA, medical, training, communications, and works and recruitment, located at different locations in the national capital owing to lack of space in the current head office building-- will start functioning from one place," said the official.
Being constructed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the foundation of the new CRPF headquarters building was laid by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 29, 2019. At the laying of its foundation stone, the target was to complete the building by March 2022, but it could not achieve the goal due to some issues.
Giving a detailed presentation on the project, Prabhakar Singh, then Director General of CPWD, the executing agency, had said at the foundation-laying ceremony that the new building of CRPF will be an iconic one in the sense that it will be smart, green, sustainable and intelligent, besides being a structure with modern facilities and energy- and water-efficient systems. He said the structure will be a ground plus 11 floors with a three-layer basement.
The existing CRPF headquarters remains temporarily stationed in Block No. 1 of the CGO Complex while final construction and finishing work on the new high-rise campus continue.
CRPF's Director General GP Singh, earlier this week, visited the site of the under-construction building and emphasised adhering to strict quality benchmarks while ensuring time-bound execution across all construction phases. During his visit, accompanied by senior officials, the CRPF chief carried out a comprehensive on-site review of the ongoing construction work of the new CRPF headquarters building. During the CRPF DG's visit, instructions were also conveyed to project engineers and senior officials to ensure seamless inter-agency coordination for timely handover of the assets.
The CRPF, leading the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) under the Ministry of Home Affairs for maintenance of internal security of the country-- initially established as the Crown Representatives Police on July 27, 1939, assumed its current name when the CRPF Act was passed on December 28, 1949, marking 86 years of glorious history.
The force since evolved into a substantial and diverse organization with a Directorate, four Zonal Headquarters, 21 Administrative Sectors, two operational Sectors, 39 Administrative Ranges, 17 operational Ranges, 43 Group Centres, 22 Training institutions, four composite hospitals, 18 composite hospitals, six field hospitals, three Central weapon stores, 201 General Duty Battalions, eight VIP Security Battalions (along with one VIP security group), six Mahila Battalion, 16 Rapid Action Force (RAF), 10 CoBRA Battalions, and one Special Duty Group.
The force is empowering the government to maintain the rule of law, public order, and internal security. Safeguard the nation's integrity while fostering social harmony and development by upholding the supremacy of the constitution. (ANI)
New CRPF Headquarters with modern facilities likely to be ready by December 2026
