136-year-old Union Football ground caught in devpt crossfire
1
2
Jaipur: Even as deputy chief minister Diya Kumari champions the preservation of Jaipur's 300-year-old heritage, a historic football ground linked to her own royal lineage faces an uncertain future.
The Union Football Club, founded in 1889 by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II inside Ramniwas Bagh, is still waiting for the return of its original ground—a year after the completion of an underground parking facility promised under a 2021 MoU with Jaipur Development Authority (JDA).
Despite the MoU clearly stating that the land would be handed back to the club post-construction, JDA has yet to act. Adding to the controversy, Jaipur Municipal Corporation (Greater) is now planning to build a multi-sports complex on the same ground, proposing to name it after RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.
Mahipal Swami, secretary of the Union Football Club, told TOI, "This ground has over a century of history. It was allotted to us by PWD after independence, and we officially hold ownership. We agreed to the JDA's parking project in good faith, trusting they would return our field and upgrade the infrastructure as per the agreement. Now, not only are those promises unfulfilled, but the JMC wants to build over it."
On May 9, club representatives met JDA commissioner Anandhi, urging immediate action.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Fogo de Chão: a experiência máxima do churrasco
Fogo de Chão
Clique aqui
Undo
"We will wait 30 more days before moving court," Swami said. While the commissioner was unavailable for comment, a senior JDA official claimed efforts are underway to return the ground as per her directives.
Meanwhile, JMC (Greater) building committee chairperson Jitendra Shrimali confirmed plans for a multi-sports facility over the two newly built parking lots. "A government plot within Ramniwas Garden has already been given to the football club. That should serve as their permanent base going forward," he added. The issue has now become a litmus test for the government's commitment to heritage preservation versus urban infrastructure expansion.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Brother's Day wishes
,
messages
and quotes !
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Time of India
Encroachments removed from Sindhi Camp bus stand
Jaipur: Anti-encroachment committee of JMC-Heritage Wednesday conducted a drive to remove encroachments from Sindhi Camp bus stand, the busiest bus terminal in the city. More than two dozen illegal carts were confiscated, and encroachments made on the road outside shops were removed, officials said. Manoj Mudgal, chairperson of the anti-encroachment committee, said, "Many people had encroached upon the bus stand, due to which operation of buses was disturbed and passengers and drivers were facing problems. We first tried to explain to local traders to remove the encroachments, but, despite our efforts, the encroachments were not cleared. Action was finally taken by the civic body today." Mudgal added that main roads and intersections in the Walled City will also be made encroachment-free. "This will not only make the traffic system in Jaipur smooth, but domestic and foreign tourists visiting will be able to see the beauty of the Pink City in a better way," he said. Meanwhile, JMC-Greater removed temporary encroachments from Pankaj Singhvi Marg, Fortis Hospital, JLN Marg, near Jawahar Circle Police Station, Nandpuri Underpass, Sanganer Bazaar, City Bus Stand, Malpura Gate, and surrounding areas on Wednesday. Two canters of goods were seized and sent to the warehouse, and a carrying charge of Rs 10,000 was collected on the spot from the encroachers, officials said.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Time of India
SC seeks Rajasthan's reply in Jaipur Town Hall ownership row
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Rajasthan government seeking its response to a plea challenging a Rajasthan High Court order pertaining to state's plan to convert Jaipur Town Hall (Old Assembly Building), the heritage building into a plea has been filed by Rajmata Padmini Devi , a member of the former royal family, Diya Kumari, and Sawai Padmanabh Singh. A controversy had arisen during the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, which had announced plans to convert the Old Assembly building into a heritage museum to promote tourism and decision was opposed by Rajmata Padmini Devi who had moved a civil court challenging the government's decision. According to Padmini, the 1949 covenant agreement signed between the royal family and the Indian government clearly mandated that the said building was to be used strictly for official purposes. She contended that any attempt to use the site for commercial or tourism-related activities would violate that on behalf of the petitioners, senior advocate Harish Salve, argued that the issue pertains to ownership rights and the terms of a pre-constitution agreement. He contended that since the legislative assembly has already shifted to a new complex, the state has no legal right to repurpose the old structure for any non-official or commercial royal family has argued that the Town Hall is their private property. They have contended that the building originally belonged to the Maharaja of Jaipur and was only used by the Rajasthan state government as a Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) on the basis of a that the government has moved the Vidhan Sabha to a new building, the family believes the license has automatically ended and the property should return to the Rajasthan High Court had found no force in the claims made by the Royal family. The High Court had ruled that the Town Hall building, along with some other properties, had been handed over to the government of India through a legal agreement known as a "covenant" made in 1949 between the Jaipur state and the Indian High Court had further held that such properties, once included in a covenant, become government property meant for official the hearing today in the Supreme Court, counsel for the Rajasthan government argued that the legal dispute is rooted in pre-Constitution covenants, and hence, under Article 363 of the Constitution, it falls outside the purview of judicial counsel urged the Court to not pass any interim directions without allowing the state government to file a formal response in the matter.
India Today
01-06-2025
- India Today
Hundreds form human chain against felling of 2,500 trees for Jaipur unity mall project
Hundreds of men, women, children, the elderly, social rights activists and youngsters on Sunday formed a human chain in protest against the felling of around 2,500 trees in Jaipur. The protest, held under the 'Save Dol Ka Badh' campaign, was aimed at maintaining Jaipur's ecological protesters claimed that the cutting of trees in the Dol Ka Badh area in such large numbers could severely deplete the green cover in the area, raising serious environmental concerns. As per an estimate, there are about 2,500 trees in the 'Dol Ka Badh' area, including the Khejri tree, considered an important constituent of the do not want the cutting down of trees in such large numbers to take place over here. If allowed, it will cause harm to the environment. The government wants to build a mall out here but at what cost?", one of the activists said while speaking to India Today. The state government, in partnership with the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO), is planning to build the Prime Minister Unity Mall, an ambitious project to showcase the tribal protestors have said they would have made a leeway if authorities decided to use 30 acres of of the 100-acre land with low tree density for the mall project."In an area of 100 acres of land, they could have decided to make use of 30 acres of land with low tree density for some of the projects they wish to carry out," one of the campaigners told India Today projects that are being planned in the area include a revamped Fintech Park apart from several commercial the last few months, the 'Save Dol Ka Baadh' campaign has become a pivotal point for bringing together hundreds of activists, primarily youngsters, to protest against the felling of trees in the dense green area, key to ensuring clean air for Jaipur associated with the 'Save Dol Ka Baadh campaign' have claimed to have geotagged the trees as evidence of those that have been cut or uprooted from their from that, more than 80 species of birds, campaigners claim, used to visit the forest, which is rich in ecological diversity, but that their numbers have reduced since the felling of trees and construction work began in the protesters were also critical of the state government, particularly Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, who, they claimed, was against the felling of trees and the construction of the shopping complex when she was in Opposition, but is not paying any heed to their requests now. IN THIS STORY#Rajasthan#Jaipur
