107-yr-old Delhi club faces eviction, moves High Court for relief

The 107-year-old Central Secretariat Club faces eviction after its recognition was revoked by DoPT. The club has challenged the move in the Delhi High Court, which has issued a notice to the Centre, listing the matter for August 24.

Club Challenges Orders in High Court

The 107-year-old Central Secretariat Club in New Delhi is facing an eviction battle after the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) revoked its recognition and the Directorate of Estates ordered it to vacate its government-allotted premises at Park Lane, citing alleged governance, financial and administrative irregularities. The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on a plea filed by the Club challenging both orders.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma sought a response from the Central Government and directed that a short reply be filed. No one appeared for the Centre during the hearing. The matter has been listed for August 24.

The Club is represented by Senior Advocate Diya Kapur. During the hearing, Kapur submitted that the derecognition order was "bad in law" and perverse in nature. She argued that the order was passed without issuing any prior notice or giving the Club an opportunity of being heard. She further submitted that the derecognition was followed by an eviction order directing the Club to vacate its premises. Kapur sought an interim direction to maintain status quo. The court, however, issued notice and sought a short response from the Centre without passing any interim order at this stage.

Background of the Dispute and Allegations

The plea challenges the DoPT's derecognition order dated July 14, 2026, and the Estate Officer's eviction order dated July 17, 2026. According to the petition, the Club, earlier known as Talkatora Club, was established in 1919 and is a longstanding institution. Its constitution provides for periodic elections to its executive body and vests management and decision-making powers in the elected executive committee.

The Club has alleged that an ad hoc committee constituted in March 2023 for a limited period of two months to conduct elections continued to exercise control for nearly two years. It has raised several allegations concerning the functioning of the committee, including delayed GST returns, failure to recover electricity charges, alleged irregularities in bar operations, non-reporting of liquor sales and purchases, absence of a liquor stock register, non-payment of statutory minimum wages and failure to file updated income-tax TDS returns.

The petition also alleges absence of a transparent procurement procedure, prolonged non-functioning of solar panels and alleged payments from the Club's bank account towards personal litigation of individuals. The Club claims that it repeatedly brought these issues to the authorities' notice through representations.

According to the plea, the DoPT initially issued an office memorandum dated February 24, 2026 withdrawing the Club's recognition without issuing a show-cause notice. The Club then approached the High Court, which directed that the earlier order be treated as a notice and gave the Club an opportunity to respond. The Club claims that despite submitting a detailed representation pursuant to the court's directions, the DoPT subsequently passed the fresh derecognition order on July 14. It has also challenged the eviction order issued by the Estate Officer, alleging that the 107-year-old institution has been treated as an unauthorised occupant following withdrawal of its allotment. The Club has sought quashing of both orders and protection of its possession of the premises. The High Court will hear the matter next on August 24. (ANI)

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