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MCD approves revamp of sports club built in 1966
MCD to redevelop Shanti Desai Sports Club near Old Delhi Railway Station by demolishing and setting up a double storey hall. BJP welcomes move.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will redevelop the Shanti Desai Sports Club — previously known as Municipal Sports Club — in Kaccha Bagh near the Old Delhi Railway Station by demolishing the existing structure and setting up a double storey hall in its place, senior municipal officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday. The house of councillors on Monday approved the proposal of the engineering department to redevelop the space, they added.
A senior MCD official said that the building was inaugurated in 1966 by the then mayor Nuruddin Ahmed. The club has an attached playground. The club was renamed after another former mayor and standing committee chairperson, Shanti Desai, in February 2008. “The process to demolish and redevelop the property began in 2019 when the department proposed to develop a double storey hall after demolishing the old existing structure, which was in a dilapidated state. The project has been cleared by the architect and engineering department and a new facility will be created after demolishing the existing structure,” the official added.
The municipality plans to develop the new multi-purpose hall at a cost of ₹3.27 crore. The new facility will be used to provide training and facilities for various indoor games like badminton, table tennis, and squash, according to officials.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) city unit welcomed the move. “In 2021-22, former Chandni Chowk councillor Ravi Kaptan had proposed the upgradation of this sports club. But the proposal remained pending due to financial constraints and the dissolution of MCD in March 2022. The proposal has been approved again and now we hope that construction will start soon. We also request the mayor to upgrade the swimming pool in this club,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar.
Punardeep Singh Sawhney, the area councillor from the AAP, said, “We will also redevelop the large cricket ground attached to the club,” he added.
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