Eviction notice to Santushti, Race Course, Polo ground for violations

NEWDELHI: Metres away from the official residence of the prime minister, five properties on Lok Kalyan Marg — including the Delhi Race Course and the Santushti Shopping Arcade — have been issued eviction notices, according to a senior official from the Union government’s Land & Development Office (L&DO).

The other properties are the Air Force Sports Complex, the Jaipur Polo Ground and the Old Willingdon Camp. The notices are for either occupying land after the expiration of the lease or for encroaching upon government land.

The Delhi Race Course (after which Race Course Road was named) and the Jaipur Polo Ground are just across the road from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence. In 2016, the road was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg.

When taken together, the five properties occupy approximately 150 acres in one of Delhi’s most expensive zones. Realty experts say the value of the land will range somewhere between ₹8,000 crore and ₹10,000 crore as per the market rate.

The notices were issued on November 13, 2017 by the L&DO, which comes under the Union housing and urban affairs ministry.

“Yes, we have issued notices to all these properties. Except for the Polo Club, owners of all the other properties have given their replies, which have been found unsatisfactory. We are deciding on our next course of action,” said L&DO officer Amit Kataria.