The Union government has directed Delhi Gymkhana Club to vacate its 27.3-acre Safdarjung Road premises by June 5
May 23, 2026: The Union government on Friday ordered Delhi Gymkhana Club to hand over its 27.3-acre property at Safdarjung Road to the Land & Development Office (L&DO) by June 5. The order, issued by the housing and urban affairs ministry, stated that the land falls within a highly sensitive and strategic zone near the Prime Minister’s residence and is urgently needed for defence infrastructure and public security purposes.
According to the order, the land was originally leased in 1928 for maintaining a social and sporting club. The government invoked the “public purpose” clause in the lease deed, stating that the property is now required for governance and institutional projects linked to adjoining government land. Officials warned that if the club fails to vacate the premises by the deadline, possession would be taken in accordance with the law. Police authorities have also been informed to maintain law and order during the process.
Founded in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club before being renamed after Independence, the club is one of India’s oldest elite institutions located in Lutyens’ Delhi. The move comes amid an ongoing governance dispute involving the club, after the National Company Law Tribunal allowed the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to nominate directors to its governing body in 2022 over allegations of mismanagement. The action is also part of a broader land resumption drive by the L&DO in central Delhi.