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Delhi Gymkhana Club seeks meeting with Centre over eviction notice, says priority is uninterrupted operations
The Delhi Gymkhana Club is considered among India's oldest and most prominent clubs. It moved to its current premises in 1913.
The Delhi Gymkhana Club on Saturday informed its members through a notice that it had sought an urgent meeting with officials from the ministry of housing and urban affairs after the Union government directed the club to hand over its 27.3-acre premises to the land & development office (L&DO) by June 5.
Located in the centre of Lutyens' Delhi, the club sits next to the Prime Minister's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. Established in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club, it was renamed after Independence and remains one of the country's oldest elite institutional clubs.
What Delhi Gymkhana Club said on govt order
In a statement issued on Saturday, the club said it was looking to ensure uninterrupted functioning and had requested an urgent meeting with officials from the ministry of housing and urban affairs.
The secretary said members had decided to send a letter to the ministry's land & development office (L&DO) as the matter concerns both members and employees associated with the club.
The officiating secretary said in a statement, “Pursuant to the sudden development, the GC today met on an urgent basis and after detailed deliberation decided to write an immediate response to L&DO requesting clarity on several issues in the interest of the members and employees of the Club.”
"The communication also requests an urgent appointment for the GC members to meet with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs officials. The immediate priority of the GC is to ensure that the operations of the Club continue without dislocation. Further developments will be communicated after the response is received," the statement read.
The Delhi Gymkhana Club is considered among India's oldest and most prominent clubs. It moved to its current premises in 1913 and operated under the name "Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club", with Spencer Harcourt Butler becoming its first president.
After India's Independence in 1947, the word "Imperial" was removed, and the club became known as the Delhi Gymkhana Club.
Why Centre ordered club to vacate premises
The order, signed by deputy land and development officer Suchit Goyal, says that the property falls within a "highly sensitive and strategic area" of the national capital and is needed for strengthening defence facilities and public security requirements, HT had reported earlier.
"The land is essential to fulfil urgent institutional needs, governance infrastructure, and public interest projects, integrated with the resumption of adjoining government lands," the L&DO order, issued under the the ministry of housing and urban affairs, said.
The order also said that, after re-entry, the entire plot, including all buildings, structures, lawns, and fittings on the premises, would come under the full ownership of the President of India.
It also said that if the club does not meet the deadline, possession of the property will be taken according to the law.
With inputs from Soumya Chatterjee and agencies
