Racing will not be disrupted says CM

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa assured a delegation of Bangalore Turf Club on Monday that racing activity will not be disrupted after December 31, the day on which the lease of race course land will expire. He has asked the turf club authorities to go ahead and publish the prospectus for the winter season which starts in November and ends in March.

Dr K M Srinivasa Gowda, who was one the delegates of BTC, said that the Chief Minister was very cordial contrary to the belief that he was hostile to the turf club as well for racing. ``The turf club can go ahead and frame the winter prospectus though the lease expires on December 31, the Chief Minister said and added that he would instruct the Finance Secretary to enable the club to carry on till such time the club is able to put the alternate infrastructure in place. The Chief Minister is very keen that we take possession of the land allotted at Chikkajala and it is for the government to get the due clearance from all bodies concerned, added Dr Gowda.

The Chief Minister has made it clear that he is not against racing but at the same time said that it is imperative for the turf club to vacate the existing premises as early as possible. ``Try and construct the new course in the next six months’’ he told the delegation. When told that the construction of infrastructure is a long drawn process, he told the delegation to start the work in earnest and show progress and he will accordingly consider extension of lease. The BTC land has to be vacated at any cost and there is no question of continuing at the existing place forever. Permission will be accorded based on the progress shown in the construction of the new race course, he stated unambiguously.

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister on several occasions said that he would develop a landmark park in the existing premises of Bangalore Turf Club along with a watch tower which will become a tourist attraction. And he is not prepared to compromise on his vision for Bangalore for which the race course land is very essential.

This is the first time that the turf club was able to get an audience with the Chef Minister on its own. Yeddyurappa has put the turf club on the back foot as the club was in the process of filing a writ petition in the High Court against the government, seeking extension of lease period. The Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association, the Karnataka Trainers Association, the Jockeys Association of India and the Syces Union were all set to go to court to prevent racing from being shut down in Bangalore.

Race goers can now heave a sigh of relief though it remains to be seen whether the assurance given by the Chief Minister satisfies all sections of the racing fraternity especially the ones who were keen to take the route of legal battle as a solution to the problem of shifting the race course without an alternative in place.

``The Chief Minister has given a verbal assurance but the turf club is continuously getting notices from the Public Works Department that the lease will not be extended and that the club has to vacate on December 31, In order to be on the safer side, it would be better if we get some kind of written assurance from the Chief Minister’s office in this regard to remove the anxiety for racing enthusiasts all over the country, said Arvind Raghavan, Secretary, Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association who was also part of the delegation that met the Chief Minister.