No plan to allot Central Secretariat Club premises to anyone, Centre tells Delhi HC

The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that there is no proposal at present to allot the Central Secretariat Club premises to any other party, amid an ongoing legal dispute over the club's de-recognition and eviction from its premises in the President's Estate.

Taking note of the government's submission, Justice Amit Mahajan declined to pass an interim order on the club's application seeking a stay on the de-recognition and eviction orders.

"Considering the above, no order is required to be passed. The petitioners are permitted to take away their belongings in next one week. List on the date already fixed, that is, December 21, 2026," the court said.

The order was passed during the hearing on November 5, when counsel representing the central government submitted that there was no proposal to allot the disputed premises to any party at this stage.

𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The Central Secretariat Club, formerly known as Talkatora Club, has challenged the government's July 14, 2026, order withdrawing its recognition and the subsequent eviction order issued by the estate officer on July 17.

The eviction order directed the club to immediately vacate its existing premises in the President's Estate.

The club had moved an interim application in its pending petition seeking a temporary stay on both orders.

The High Court had earlier issued notice to the Centre and sought its response to the main petition challenging the withdrawal of recognition.

In its plea, the club alleged that the Department of Personnel and Training had acted arbitrarily, illegally and unconstitutionally in withdrawing its recognition on July 14.

𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

According to the petition, the club had raised complaints about alleged irregularities during the tenure of an ad hoc committee entrusted with managing its affairs.

However, instead of addressing those complaints, the authorities initially withdrew its recognition in February without issuing a show-cause notice, the club alleged.

Following the High Court's intervention, the club was granted a hearing, after which a fresh de-recognition order was issued on July 14.

The petitioner argued that the subsequent orders were "ex facie arbitrary, malicious, unconstitutional, and constitute a brazen, colourable exercise of administrative power".

It further alleged that the authorities were attempting to use administrative failures and the alleged misconduct of the ad hoc committee as grounds to dispossess the institution.

"The respondents are attempting to weaponise their own administrative failures and the misdeeds of their ad hoc committee to forcefully dispossess and extinguish a historic institution, in flagrant violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India and the fundamental principles of natural justice," the petition stated.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱

The club also questioned the legal basis of the eviction order, arguing that it had been treated as an unauthorised occupant despite being a 107-year-old institution with what it described as permanent occupancy rights.

According to the plea, the authorities had classified the club as an unauthorised occupant solely on the basis of the cancellation of its allotment, which the petitioner maintains was itself unlawful.

The club contended that the de-recognition and eviction orders violated constitutional protections against arbitrary state action and the principles of natural justice.

The High Court has not adjudicated the merits of these allegations. With the Centre stating that no fresh allotment of the premises is currently proposed, the matter will be taken up again on December 21.