Gymkhana workers seek clarity on jobs
The Delhi Gymkhana Workers’ Association has sought clarity over the future of around 700 employees of the club, questioning why the terms of senior officials were extended when the club itself is facing eviction proceedings.
In a letter to the club’s general secretary and secretary, the association said employees were yet to receive any assurance about their jobs amid the uncertainty over the club’s future. The association claimed that during a general committee meeting held on August 8, it was announced that the terms of two officials of the government-appointed committee had been extended by one year. “If the club is at the verge of eviction, why have the terms of these officials been extended?” the association questioned, while also seeking to know what would happen to the around 700 staff members working at the club.
The workers’ body had earlier appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the employees’ livelihoods are protected.
It said the workers, including permanent and contractual staff, largely belong to middle- and lower-middle-income families and many have been working at the club for more than a decade.
The concerns come amid an ongoing dispute between the Centre and the Delhi Gymkhana Club over its lease. On May 22, the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry ordered the club to vacate its 27.3-acre premises, invoking a clause in its 1928 perpetual lease deed to terminate the lease and order “re-entry and resumption” of the land. The Centre has said the land, located in a strategically sensitive area, is required for national security, defence infrastructure and public utility projects. The club also has around Rs 47.58 crore in unpaid ground rent dues, according to the government.
The L&DO subsequently issued a show-cause notice on June 29 under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act.
The matter is also pending before the Delhi High Court, which is hearing challenges to the termination of the lease. The next hearing is scheduled for September 3.
The Centre has maintained that the eviction proceedings are being conducted under the law and that the estate officer is competent to proceed with the matter.
