HUDA seals off swimming pool at Gymkhana Club in Sector 29

The enforcement wing of HUDA yesterday sealed off the swimming pool at Gymkhana Club in Sector 29, Gurgaon. The measure came in the wake of complaints by club members, who said the contractor’s lease had expired on March 31.  

HUDA is yet to draw-up a new tender to lease the facility’s maintenance and operation. Completing the whole thing will take at least six weeks.

On April 10, Gurgaon divisional commissioner D Suresh — also the president of the HUDA Gymkhana Club — heard the members’ complaints and directed officials to seal the facility. The contractor — Deva Swimming Institute — was continuing to operate the pool even after his seven-year lease expired on March 31.

In fact, club members had objected to the contractor even before the expiry of lease, as he would allow non-members to use the facility by paying a fee of Rs 2,000 a month in contravention of the rules. Club members pay Rs 200 a month for the facility.

“The contractor allowed non-club members to use the swimming pool facility between 6 pm and 7 pm, which is a time reserved for members. We regularly complained to the HUDA against this practice,” complained club member Mohit Dutta.

Club member Neeraj Saluja said the contractor neglected the maintenance of the swimming pool since the beginning of his term, but HUDA did not act despite formal complaints.

Recounting an incident, he said, “In 2012, a year after the contractor was hired, an 82-year-old member injured his toe because of a broken tile in the floor of the swimming pool. We lodged a complaint, but the contractor did not apologize.”

The situation had come to such a pass because, in the words of the members, the contract was awarded without issuing a tender. “The contract was awarded to Dev Swimming Institute without issuing a tender in 2011,” Saluja said.

Now, a fresh tender for operating and maintaining the pool will be floated, and HUDA administrator Chander Shekhar Khare confirmed the same.