After Gymkhana, it’s the turn of Jaipur Polo Ground. Govt sends eviction notice

After the Delhi Gymkhana Club and Delhi Race Club rows, it is now the turn of another legacy property. 

The Centre has reportedly sought to remove the Jaipur Polo Ground from its premises near the Prime Minister’s official residence. The polo club has now moved the Delhi High Court against the eviction. 

According to The Indian Express, the dispute concerns the prime land parcel that the Indian Polo Association (IPA) says was gifted by the Maharaja of Jaipur to the Delhi Polo Club around 1930 and leased by the Central Public Works Department in 1951 for 20 years. The government claims the lease expired in 1993 and that the IPA has been occupying the land illegally since then. 

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The IPA contended the lease was extended and breaches were regularised, arguing it cannot be treated as an ordinary unauthorised occupant under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, as per the report.

The IPA stated the lease was extended in 1971 until 1982 and again in 1983 until March 1993. After the Delhi Polo Club dissolved in 1983, the premises were allotted to the IPA. Since 1984, the association has paid a ground rent of Rs 400 per acre annually, amounting to about Rs 6,080 per year. In April 2025, the IPA paid Rs 30,400 for ground rent covering five years until March 31, 2030, which it says reflects the government’s renewal of the lease. 

The IPA also referred to instances of temporary regularisation, including a 2005 demand for Rs 2.53 lakh that included damages.

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The dispute resurfaced in 2017 when the government alleged illegal occupation but was later settled. On March 12 this year, the government issued an eviction notice. The IPA approached the Delhi High Court and invoked arbitration, the report added. While arbitration was underway, the government issued a show-cause notice on April 17, calling the IPA an unauthorised occupant, followed by an eviction order on May 20. The IPA claimed the order was passed without a fair hearing.

The eviction order, issued by the estate officer under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, stated the land was needed for a "larger public purpose and benefit" but did not specify the purpose. The IPA responded that Jaipur Polo Ground is one of the few remaining large green spaces in the area and served as an important ecological and recreational asset. 

The association’s records show it sought lease renewal from the Land and Development Office in 2022.

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The ground has a long history of hosting national and international equestrian and polo events, including the Asian Games equestrian events, the IPA National Polo Championship and the Indian Masters Trophy. The IPA notes a 1922 polo match between Jodhpur and Patiala drew 1,50,000 spectators. The venue is also linked to the Delhi Horse Show and is used widely for horse training.

The IPA said the eviction order comes ahead of several major events scheduled at the venue, such as the IPA National Polo Championship, Baroda Cup, Northern India Polo Championship, Indian Masters Trophy, Cavalry Gold Cup, D'Monde Cup, Col Girdhari Singh Memorial Cup and Junior National Polo Championship, the report stated.