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Outgoing Air Chief Flags Concerns Over Sealed IAF Complex (Img: IANS)
New Delhi: Days before his retirement, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, chief of air staff, raised concerns about sealing off the Indian Air Force's (IAF) sports complex at the Race Course Air Force Station in New Delhi.
He wrote a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 26 and urged him to ensure the Air Force kept the over 40-acre land parcel under its control.
As per reports, AP Singh also raised the issue during his in-person meeting with the Defence Minister on October 29, just three days before his retirement. Singh sought Rajnath Singh's intervention after authorities under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs sealed the complex, raising concerns within defence circles.
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The sealing led to the cancellation of a planned farewell for the outgoing Air Chief Marshal. The facility included a golf course, swimming pool and other amenities.
The Defence Ministry and Indian Air Force have not officially confirmed the matter.
In the letter to the Defence Minister, AP Singh referred to a Joint survey by the Ministry of Urban Development, the Defence Ministry and the Air Force in 2014. Citing the sports complex's importance to the air station's overall functioning, he argued that the land should remain with the IAF.
According to reports, the Indian Air Force has conveyed its concerns and objections to the Defence Ministry and sought the cancellation of the sealing. The IAF highlighted the operational importance of Race Course Air Force Station, especially its role in addressing the potential aerial security threats around the Prime Minister's residence.
In his letter, AP Singh referred to the station's history and stressed that all its facilities should continue to function as usual.
The drive to seal the land is part of a wider effort to reclaim high-value land parcels near Lok Kalyan Marg. The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has reviewed plots being used for defence golf courses and sports facilities. It has also issued eviction notices, seeking the return of the land.
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In August, the Land and Development Office (L&DO) evicted the Delhi Race Club from its 53-acre premises on Lok Kalyan Marg and the Jaipur Polo Ground.
