Air Force Sports Complex is co-located to Air Force Station and is neither part of it nor falls under land of station

The Centre has taken possession of another prime government land parcel near the Prime Minister’s official residence, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) formally handing over 39.5 acres housing its Sports Complex at Race Course Air Force Station in New Delhi to the Land and Development Office (L&DO).

The distinction is to be noted that Air Force Sports Complex is co-located to Air Force Station and is neither part of it nor falls under land of station. The complex land parcel is owned by government.

The transfer, completed on an “as is where is” basis, marks the latest development in the Centre’s exercise to reclaim prominent government properties around 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, where several defence-linked sporting and recreational facilities have come under scrutiny.

The next step will be a joint survey involving the Defence Estate Office, the IAF and the L&DO to establish the exact extent of the land and verify its measurements. The exercise is significant as it will help the three agencies establish the precise area being handed over and identify any variations in the recorded dimensions. The transfer itself has already been completed, with the survey now expected to settle the land measurement details.

The development follows the closure of the sports complex last Wednesday, days before the formal handover.

The Tribune had first reported on October 28 that the facility had been shut, staff had been barred from entering and the L&DO was moving to reclaim the property. Its report had also highlighted that the purpose for which the government intended to use the land remained unclear.

The complex, which had a golf course, swimming pool, badminton courts and other sporting facilities, was closed after the L&DO, under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, issued eviction notices to its management, directing it to vacate the premises.

The takeover is part of a wider government exercise to review and reclaim high-value land parcels in the vicinity of Lok Kalyan Marg, including properties being used for defence golf courses and sporting facilities.

Earlier, the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry had directed the concerned entities to return the land occupied by the Air Force Golf Course.

In August, the L&DO took possession of the Delhi Race Club’s 53-acre premises on Lok Kalyan Marg, citing the requirement of the land for an unspecified public purpose. The Centre has also reclaimed the Jaipur Polo Ground from the India Polo Association, citing broader public purposes, governance requirements and defence infrastructure projects.

The handover of the IAF Sports Complex adds another substantial property to this list, while the joint survey will now establish the exact land area and provide clarity on its measurements.