Ex-IAF Chief AP Singh reportedly wrote to Rajnath Singh, urging him to retain Race Course land under Air Force control.
Singh highlighted the station's strategic and operational importance, including its role in supporting Air Headquarters and personnel.
The IAF Sports Complex was shut on October 28 amid the government's land reclamation drive near the Prime Minister's residence.
Ex-Air Chief AP Singh Raises Concerns Over Race Course Land, Seeks Continued IAF Control
Days before his retirement, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh reportedly wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, highlighting the station's strategic importance and urging that its land remain under IAF control
Summary
Indian Air Force (IAF) had sought the Defence Ministry's intervention to retain control of its sports complex at the Race Course Air Force Station in New Delhi after authorities moved to seal the premises, with former Air Chief Marshal AP Singh taking up the matter with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shortly before his retirement.
According to PTI, which cited people familiar with the matter, AP Singh sent a letter to Rajnath Singh on October 26, requesting that the over 40-acre property remain under the Air Force's control. He followed this up with a meeting with the defence minister on October 29. Singh retired as Chief of Air Staff on October 31.
The dispute arose after officials under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) sealed the IAF Sports Complex. The facility has a golf course, swimming pool and other recreational amenities. Its closure also resulted in the cancellation of a farewell planned for the outgoing Air Chief Marshal.
There has been no official response from the IAF or the Defence Ministry on the matter.
Air Force Cites Station's Operational Role
In his communication, AP Singh cited a joint survey conducted in 2014 by the then Ministry of Urban Development, the Defence Estate Department and the Air Force. He maintained that the land was linked to the functioning of the air station and should continue to remain with the IAF.
The Air Force has separately approached the Defence Ministry, seeking the withdrawal of the sealing process. According to PTI, officials have pointed to the station's role in dealing with possible aerial security threats in the high-security area surrounding the Prime Minister's residence.
Singh also referred to the station's history and the existing arrangement governing the land. The sports complex is spread across three separate land segments, and he sought the continuation of its facilities.
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Wider Land Reclamation Exercise
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre over the closure, describing the complex as part of the IAF's social infrastructure. He called the government's action an "absolute disgrace".
The move forms part of a broader exercise by the Land and Development Office (L&DO), under MoHUA, to reclaim land around Lok Kalyan Marg. The government has also taken back the Delhi Race Club's 53-acre premises and the Jaipur Polo Ground from the India Polo Association, citing public purposes and infrastructure requirements.
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