The Centre has initiated steps to reclaim land used by the Indian Air Force Sports Complex at Race Course Air Force Station, near the Prime Minister’s official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. The move has led to a political dispute over the future of the facility, which includes a golf course, a swimming pool and other amenities used as part of the IAF’s social infrastructure.
The Land and Development Office (L&DO), functioning under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, issued eviction notices to the management of the complex. The notices demand the return of the land. The sports complex was closed on Wednesday, 28 October, according to the report on the development.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre’s action on Tuesday, 3 November. He shared a media report claiming that Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, days before his retirement, had urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to protect the IAF’s control over the land within the station.
“The IAF Sports Complex has a long history and has, over the decades, served many public purposes, as well as being an integral part of the Indian Air Force social infrastructure.”
— Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications
Ramesh described the government’s action as “an absolute disgrace” and said it showed “utter disrespect” to the IAF family. His comments were made in response to the reported eviction notices and the closure of the facility. The criticism is political in nature; the available details do not establish the final use to which the land will be put.
Land recovery drive covers defence-linked facilities
The action involving the IAF complex is part of a recent Centre-led exercise to review and reclaim high-value land parcels in the area around Lok Kalyan Marg. The process is being conducted through the L&DO, with plots used for defence golf and sports facilities among those being examined, according to the report.
The dispute centres on the competing descriptions of the property: the L&DO has sought its return as government land, while the Congress has highlighted its long association with the Air Force and its role in the service’s institutional and social infrastructure. The reported appeal by Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, if confirmed, would place the issue within the final days of his tenure as Chief of the Air Staff.
- Facility: Indian Air Force Sports Complex at Race Course Air Force Station
- Location: Near 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi
- Action reported: Eviction notices issued by the Land and Development Office
The development comes as the Centre reviews defence-related land holdings in a strategically important part of the national capital. At the time of the report, the public dispute had focused on the eviction notices, the closure of the complex and the IAF’s reported request to retain control of the land.
