HT exclusive: Before retiring, ex-air chief asked govt not to take over IAF’s Sports Complex | India News

On October 26, days before his October 31 retirement, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh urged defence minister Rajnath Singh to protect the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s control of prime land within the Race Course Air Force Station, near the Prime Minister’s residence, citing operational imperatives and the facilities located there, said a senior official familiar with the matter, requesting anonymity.

AP Singh urged the defence minister to direct the authorities to hand over the land to the IAF, saying the matter should be reconsidered, the officials said. (File Photo/PTI)The letter came against the backdrop of the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) reclaiming a sprawling sports complex within the station. The reclamation has been controversial in defence circles, and even forced the cancellation of a farewell for the outgoing air chief.

The defence ministry spokesperson did not respond to calls for comment.

The Air Force Sports Complex (AFSC), located within the Race Course Air Force Station established in the 1940s, was closed to members last month until further notice amid the government’s move to reclaim land allotted to the IAF, as first reported by HT on October 28.

In his letter regarding the transfer and regularisation of MoHUA land at the Race Course Air Force Station (or Air Force Station, New Delhi), AP Singh wrote that it is prudent for the land housing the AFSC to remain under IAF’s control, a second official tracking the matter said, asking not to be named.

The land in question is spread over about 40 acres.

MoHUA hasn’t spelt out a reason for the reclamation, but the move is in keeping with its efforts to take back large parcels of land in the vicinity of the Prime Minister’s residence such as the Gymkhana Club and the Jaipur Polo Ground.

AP Singh also highlighted the station’s multifaceted role, including the administrative support it provides to Air Headquarters and more than 5,000 personnel, the second official added. Its premises house accommodation for married and unmarried personnel, training areas for airmen and Agniveervayus, security infrastructure, recreational facilities, a medical centre, a school and a unit-run canteen, AP Singh wrote.

The sports complex holds a range of facilities, including a golf course, guest cottages, a swimming pool, a fitness centre and restaurants. Its abrupt closure forced the cancellation of Singh’s farewell golf event, scheduled for October 28, raising questions over the timing of the Centre’s move, also first reported by HT. A “golfing-out” is usually planned for outgoing chiefs in their capacity as patron-in-chief of the golf course.

IAF has also informed the defence ministry that the Race Course station is entrusted with countering unmanned aerial system (UAS) threats during various activities coordinated by the Delhi Integrated Air Defence Centre (DIADC), said a third official, requesting anonymity.

The Land and Development Office (L&DO), which comes under MoHUA, has completed a survey of the sports complex, which is no longer is use. AP Singh urged the defence minister to direct the authorities to hand over the land to the IAF, saying the matter should be reconsidered, the officials said.

In his first public comments after taking over as 29th IAF chief on Sunday, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said “the training, professional excellence, morale, safety, welfare and dignity” of all air force personnel will have his “personal attention”. Dixit is expected to take the matter forward now, the officials added.

IAF historian Anchit Gupta traced the station’s history and its evolution over the decades.

The air force’s association with Race Course goes back to the Second World War, when parachutists were training at the neighbouring Willingdon airport from 1941, and Royal Air Air Force (RAF) Station, New Delhi, was established in 1942, he said. In September 1947, the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) created No. 10 Administrative Wing here, amid the enormous reorganisation brought about by Independence and Partition. The air force was known as RIAF from 1945-50.

“It brought under one administrative umbrella an unusual collection of establishments, including the Signals Centre, No. 1 Radar Unit, the Record Office, Central Accounts Office and medical services. Its importance lay in being the administrative nerve centre supporting Air Headquarters and IAF, managing everything from personnel records, accounts and medical support to security, accommodation, transport and the movement of airmen between postings,” Gupta said.

That remains a central part of the station’s role today.

What makes its early history particularly interesting is how quickly it became involved in events of national importance, Gupta noted.

Just five days after its formation on September 1, 1947, communal riots erupted in Delhi. Its personnel patrolled affected areas, installed floodlights and loudspeakers in refugee camps, and helped accommodate some 900 airmen and 150 families arriving from stations in Pakistan, he said.

“The station provided transport and logistical support during the 1947-48 Kashmir war. Even during the 1971 war, the station had an unusual role, housing 15 Pakistani Air Force prisoners of war, including Flight Lieutenant Pervaiz Mehdi Qureshi, who subsequently became Chief of the Pakistan Air Force,” Gupta added.

Rahul Singh is Defence Editor at Hindustan Times and has covered military affairs and national security for nearly 25 years. Apart from extensive and deep reporting on the Indian military, including several newsbreaks that have set the national news agenda over the years, Rahul has reported from conflict zones including Jammu & Kashmir, India’s North-east and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rahul has co-authored the bestselling 'India's Most Fearless' series of books on recent Indian military operations. Widely read and translated into multiple languages, the books place an emphasis on firsthand accounts of daring missions across the three services. His work has been adapted into web series and films including the National Award-winning Amaran. Rahul comes from an Army background and attended schools across the country before completing his education from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Grew up playing tennis, now mostly cheers from the sidelines. Works in Delhi, heart in the mountains.Read More