The Air Force Sports Complex on Lok Kalyan Marg, located close to the Prime Minister's residence, was shut to members on Wednesday until further notice after the Centre moved to reclaim the government land allotted to the Indian Air Force (IAF) for operating the facility.
The complex, situated inside the Race Course Air Force Station, houses a golf course, swimming pool and restaurants and is frequented by serving and retired defence personnel. Members received messages from the authorities on Tuesday informing them that the facility would remain closed from 5 am on October 28 until further orders.
The development followed a communication from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), which had recently informed the IAF that the government required the land. According to people familiar with the matter, the Centre has taken possession of the golf course.
๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐น๐ผ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ
The closure was communicated to members through a message issued on Tuesday, without specifying when the sports complex would reopen.
The facility is located within the Air Force Station near the Prime Minister's official residence and has long been used for sporting and recreational activities by serving and retired officers.
An IAF spokesperson was not immediately available for comment on the development.
Officials familiar with the matter said the government had permitted the Air Force to operate the complex on the land, but the housing ministry subsequently sought its return.
As the property belonged to the government, the transfer did not require a court order, according to a person aware of the development.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ
The sudden closure also led to the cancellation of a farewell golfing event planned for outgoing IAF chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, who is scheduled to retire on October 31.
A former Air Force chief said such golfing events were traditionally organised to bid farewell to outgoing service chiefs, who served as patrons-in-chief of their respective golf courses.
The cancellation came just days before Singh's retirement, bringing an abrupt end to preparations for the customary gathering.
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ
The move is part of a broader exercise by the Centre to reclaim prominent government-owned properties in the national capital.
On May 22, the government issued a notice to the Delhi Gymkhana Club, directing it to surrender its premises to the Land and Development Office (L&DO). The Centre invoked a public-purpose provision in the original lease agreement, stating that the land was required to strengthen and secure defence infrastructure.
The club subsequently challenged the termination of its perpetual lease in the Delhi High Court, where the matter remains under consideration.
The government also took possession of the Jaipur Polo Ground after a Delhi court declined to stay its eviction from the 15-acre property.
Earlier this month, reports indicated that the Centre had sought the return of land occupied by the Air Force Golf Course near the Prime Minister's residence, although the timeline for its handover was not clear at the time.
๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ
The latest closure marks another development in the government's efforts to regain control of valuable land parcels around Lok Kalyan Marg and adjoining areas.
The authorities have not publicly specified the future use of the land occupied by the Air Force Sports Complex or indicated whether its recreational facilities will be relocated elsewhere.
For members, the immediate consequence is the suspension of access to the complex's sporting and dining facilities until further instructions are issued.