NEW DELHI: Delhi Gymkhana Club members and staff have moved the Delhi High Court against the Centre’s show-cause notice for eviction from its 27.3-acre premises on Safdarjung Road.
The applications, which seek a stay on the operation of the show-cause notice, have been listed for hearing before Justice Avneesh Jhingan on July 6. The pleas by Vijay Khurana and Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd Staff Welfare Association form part of their pending lawsuit following the Land and Development Office’s (L&DO) May 22 order terminating the perpetual lease deed and asking the colonialera club to return its land by June 5 on grounds of “strengthening and securing defence infrastructure”.
On June 29, the L&DO under Told to hold weekly meetings in their zones Wahi directed all Deputy Health Officers to hold weekly meetings in their respective zones and ordered increased surveillance and enforcement actions across all zones. Deputy Mayor Dr Monika Pant, Municipal Health Officers Dr. Ashok Rawat and Dr. Lallan Ram Verma, along with Deputy Health Officers from all 12 zones, attended the meeting.
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry issued a show-cause notice to the club, asking it to explain why an eviction order should not be passed against it under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The notice, issued by Estate Officer Bipin Kumar Singh, directed the club and all persons concerned occupying the premises to submit their response by July 7 and appear for a personal hearing on the same day at 2.30 pm.
The move came more than a month after the Centre told the Delhi High Court on May 26 that it would not take forceful possession of the 27.3-acre premises by June 5, which is required for “strengthening and securing defence infrastructure”. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta then said that the Centre would take over the club’s land in accordance with the procedure established by law.
