Kolkata, Sep 26 The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday formally inaugurated its new five-storey office, ‘Keshav Smriti’, in New Town near Kolkata, nearly four decades after its existing state headquarters, ‘Keshav Bhavan’, was established in the metropolis.
RSS national general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale inaugurated the new building, which has been conceived as an additional organisational centre to accommodate the Sangh’s expanding activities in West Bengal.
The new facility will function as an annex building of ‘Keshav Bhavan’ located in Maniktala, which will continue to serve as the South Bengal divisional headquarters, according to Sangh functionaries.
The five-storey building, designed with a mix of modern facilities and traditional organisational requirements, has been equipped with dedicated spaces for meetings, accommodation, dining, archival preservation and digital communication.
The new office comes 37 years after Keshav Bhavan was established in 1989 in Maniktala area of Kolkata. RSS functionaries have said the new facility was necessitated by the expansion of organisational and social activities in the state and the increasing pressure on the existing headquarters.
The development comes against the backdrop of a significant expansion claimed by the RSS in West Bengal following the BJP’s victory in the 2026 assembly elections.
RSS South Bengal Prachar Pramukh Biplab Ray said the organisation had around 5,000 shakhas, or local units, in the state till May and had set a target of increasing the number to 10,000 by Mahalaya on October 10.
The RSS has also been conducting outreach programmes across the state as part of its expansion drive, with a particular focus on young people, including members of Gen Z, according to the organisation.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had attended a ceremonial programme at the new office earlier this week. RSS leaders, while addressing functionaries during the programme, stressed the need for continued hard work and cautioned volunteers against becoming complacent following the change in the political environment in the state.
The new office is expected to provide accommodation for senior RSS functionaries visiting West Bengal and a larger space for organisational meetings and activities.
The location in New Town also offers proximity to the airport, which RSS functionaries said would facilitate visits by senior leaders from outside the state.
(PTI News)
