The board has decided to close down Dunlop's 30-odd depots at various places in India, and transfer its hose project to subsidiary Falcon Tyres Ltd. The company suspended operations at its factories in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu earlier this year, shortly after filing for "sick company" status with the BIFR. No official confirmation was available from Dunlop despite repeated attempts over the last three days.

Dunlop House is an 80-year-old building and a Calcutta landmark. Earlier this year, the company had sought buyers for the property and some others in a bid to tide over a cash crunch that finally crippled its operations.

Companysources said the staff strength at Dunlop House has come down considerably. The workers at the Sahagunj unit have not got their salaries for the last seven months, while the salary cheques for the staff at Dunlop House are being delayed by around two months. Dunlop had posted a profit of Rs 5.14 crore for 1996-97, but reported a loss of Rs 231.84 crore for the nine month period to December 31, 1997. Operations at both Ambattur unit in Tamil Nadu and Sahagunj unit in West Bengal have been temporarily suspended since February 1998.