India, July 2 -- With the future of the Delhi Gymkhana Club hanging in the balance ahead of the Delhi High Court hearing on July 28, questions are being raised over the handling of official notices issued by the Land & Development Office (L&DO). Former club president said the club had been under the control of a 15-member committee appointed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, making it responsible for responding to every official communication. Referring to the reported notices concerning nearly Rs 48 crore in ground rent arrears and lease-related issues, he said such matters should have been addressed immediately. If any corrections or compliance requirements were needed, they should have been resolved at the time, he said, adding that the committee must explain why the notices were not acted upon with the seriousness they warranted. Also Read - Delhi court reserves verdict in wrestlers' sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan The club's legal counsel has also argued that the Gymkhana holds a perpetual lease with no limitation on its duration, making the validity of the lease termination one of the central issues before the court. Echoing concerns over the government's move, club member and retired IPS officer B.L. Vohra, former Director General of Police, said the decision to reclaim the club was difficult to justify. Rejecting the perception that the Gymkhana is merely an elite institution, he said most members are retired civil servants and armed forces personnel who dedicated decades of service to the country. Questioning the security rationale, he noted that the club has stood at the same location for decades, including when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi lived across the road, and asked why security concerns had surfaced only now. Also Read - Migration, duplicate addresses complicate SIR exercise in Delhi's unauthorised colonies, slums The uncertainty has also drawn attention to the livelihoods of the club's employees, including waiters, cooks, gardeners, cleaners and other ground staff, many of whom have spent decades serving the institution and live within its premises. Any disruption to the club's functioning could leave them unemployed, with little clarity over their housing, separation benefits or future rehabilitation. Members also said Delhi's shrinking green spaces deserve careful consideration. They argued that open spaces such as the Gymkhana play an important environmental role and should not be replaced by large-scale construction without a well-defined master plan. Referring to the Jaipur Polo Club, where a government takeover has reportedly been followed by plans for construction, they said similar decisions should be guided by a long-term vision rather than isolated actions. Questions are also likely to be raised over why institutions occupying even larger tracts of government land, such as the Delhi Golf Club, are not facing similar action. As the matter heads for its next hearing, issues relating to the reported lease notices, administrative accountability, the status of the perpetual lease, the future of employees and the government's long-term plans for the land are expected to remain at the centre of the case.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.