Polo Association exits arbitration litigation, wants 500 acres at alternate site

The Indian Polo Association (IPA) has decided to withdraw its petition seeking an arbitrator to resolve its dispute with the Central government over the Jaipur Polo Ground, which spans 15.20 acres in Lutyens' Delhi. Instead, the IPA is now requesting at least 500 acres of land within the national capital as an alternative location.

The Delhi High Court allowed the IPA to withdraw its petition, dismissing it. The dispute arose when the central government issued an eviction order to vacate the premises in May, claiming they were needed for a "larger public purpose and benefit." The land, originally gifted by the former Maharaja of Jaipur to the Delhi Polo Club around 1930, was later leased to the club in 1951 for 20 years.

It was subsequently transferred to the IPA following the dissolution of the Delhi Polo Club in 1983. In May 2023, the IPA filed a petition under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, seeking an arbitrator to address the alleged breach of lease terms by the government. However, the IPA has now withdrawn its petition and is pushing for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to provide an alternative 500-acre site within Delhi for equestrian sports.