New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has handed over a 39.5-acre parcel at Race Course Air Force Station, which housed its sports complex, to the Union government. The land also holds a swimming pool and other amenities, and the handover was confirmed by an official on Thursday. The plot lies close to the prime minister’s official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, formerly Race Course Road.
The formal handover took place on Wednesday.
Terms of the transfer
The land was transferred on an “as is where is” basis to the Land and Development Office (L&DO), which works under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The L&DO had initially sought about 39.9 acres, of which 39.5 acres have now been handed over.
With the formal handover complete, a joint survey is expected to fix the precise boundaries and measurements of the parcel. The Air Force, the Defence Estate Office and the L&DO are expected to carry it out together. The Centre has not yet announced how the land will be used.
What led to the handover
The complex, which had a golf course, swimming pool, badminton courts and other sporting facilities, was closed after the L&DO asked for the lands.
The outgoing chief, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, objected in writing. He raised his concerns with the defence minister, Rajnath Singh, over the sealing and sought continued Air Force control over the land parcel. In the letter, Singh cited a joint survey of the land, which was over 40 acres, conducted in 2014 by the then Ministry of Urban Development, the Defence Estate Department and the Air Force.
The Air Force had also asked the defence ministry to seek cancellation of the sealing. The government went ahead with the takeover regardless.
The question of ownership
Who owns the land has been a matter of debate. One report said the sports complex is co-located with the Air Force station and is neither part of it nor on the station’s land. An officer had also said the complex was “apparently” on Urban Development Ministry land occupied by the Air Force station. That would support the L&DO’s claim. The Air Force, for its part, has pointed to the 2014 survey.
The Air Force had also raised concerns about the station’s role in countering aerial threats, including those from unmanned aerial systems. The station’s position near the capital’s most sensitive residence gives that argument weight.
Part of a wider land drive
The takeover is part of a broader exercise to reclaim prominent land parcels near Lok Kalyan Marg. Several of these parcels were leased to private bodies or occupied by institutions for decades. In August, the L&DO took possession of the Delhi Race Club’s 53-acre premises, citing the need for an unspecified public purpose.
The Delhi Race Club and the Jaipur Polo Grounds lie close to the sports complex, and the L&DO has taken steps to reclaim land there as well. The ministry had earlier also asked the entities concerned to hand over the land housing the Air Force Golf Course.
Political reaction
The Congress attacked the move before the handover. On November 3, the party called the government’s actions an “absolute disgrace” and said they showed “utter disrespect” to the armed forces. Its leader Jairam Ramesh said the complex has a long history and has served many public purposes over the decades, besides being an integral part of the Air Force's social infrastructure.
