2 days ago
Delhi Race Club Takeover Leaves Workers Without Jobs, Homes
The Delhi Race Club was taken over after the government said it was needed for security reasons.
Many people who worked there caring for horses or doing other jobs lost their work.
Some workers had spent decades at the club.
The horses were sold, and the stables and other parts of the club were partly demolished.
Many workers now depend on irregular daily-wage jobs.
Families living in nearby settlements have also received notices to leave their homes.
They were offered flats in Savda Ghevra, far from their old jobs and schools.
Some families moved but returned because traveling was too difficult.
The government says the land is needed to protect important defence and security sites.
The Delhi Race Club takeover ended jobs for many long-term caretakers, grass cutters, caddies and other workers.
Residents estimate that 1,500-2,000 people from three nearby settlements worked at the club.
Former employees say their fixed monthly incomes have been replaced by uncertain, lower-paid daily-wage work.
Nearly 700 families have received eviction notices, with resettlement offered about 45 km away in Savda Ghevra.
The Centre says removing unauthorized structures is needed to strengthen defence infrastructure and protect high-security installations.
- Who
- Former Delhi Race Club workers and residents of Bhai Ram Camp, DID and Masjid Camp were affected; the Centre initiated the takeover and eviction proceedings.
- What
- The Delhi Race Club was subject to eviction proceedings and its grounds, stables and operations were disrupted, causing job and housing insecurity.
- Where
- The affected sites are the Delhi Race Club and nearby settlements in Lutyens' Delhi; resettlement flats were offered in Savda Ghevra, Northwest Delhi.
- When
- The Estate Officer issued the eviction order on August 11; as of May 2026, related litigation was pending at the Delhi High Court.
- Why
- The Centre said clearing unauthorized structures was necessary to strengthen defence infrastructure and protect high-security installations.
Government and Security Rationale
Workers and Residents' Concerns
Use of the land
Government and Security Rationale
The Centre said removing unauthorized structures was necessary to strengthen defence infrastructure and protect high-security installations.
Workers and Residents' Concerns
Former workers and residents say the action eliminated their livelihoods and placed their homes and communities under threat.
Relocation
Government and Security Rationale
Authorities offered eligible residents flats in Savda Ghevra as a resettlement option.
Workers and Residents' Concerns
Residents say the location is too far from their jobs and schools, and some families moved back after struggling with the commute.
Legal proceedings
Government and Security Rationale
The Land and Development Office issued an eviction order, while the Supreme Court of India dismissed the club's appeal against a High Court decision allowing eviction proceedings to continue.
Workers and Residents' Concerns
The Delhi Race Club challenged the eviction, and a district court also considered a request for an interim stay, which was refused.
Key facts
- Affected settlements
- Bhai Ram Camp, DID and Masjid Camp
- Estimated former workers
- About 1,500-2,000 residents worked at the club, according to residents
- Eviction notices
- Nearly 700 families received notices
- Resettlement location
- Savda Ghevra, about 45 km from the former homes and workplaces
- Horse population
- About 200-250 horses were sold
- Eviction deadline
- The August 11 order directed the club to vacate within 15 days
- Resettlement progress
- By May 2026, 192 residents had accepted allotment letters and 136 had taken possession of flats
Quotes
Woman from Masjid Camp
A Masjid Camp resident whose family struggled after relocating to Savda Ghevra
“I used to earn around Rs 19,000 a month, but now I am trying to find work at construction sites. A few times, I get work at the Air Force station, but it does not even pay Rs 500 a day.”
indianexpress.com
“My son is in Class 12. We would leave at 6 am for school but couldn’t reach even by 8 am. So we shifted back last month.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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