BTC to file SLP in Supreme Court
Despite the fact that Chief Minister Yeddyurappa has sanctioned about 120 acres of land for Bangalore Turf Club to relocate and offered certain concessions, the turf club is likely to file the Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court following some serious reservations expressed over suitability of the land at a meeting of the former Chairman of Bangalore Turf Club on Wednesday.
Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa is very keen on giving some land as he has time and again expressed that he needs the club land to fulfill his vision of building a tourist attraction along with developing a theme park even if his plans may run into legal hassles. The government readily sanctioned the land at Chikkajala tank bed area when the BTC sought that land but since the land allotted was a tank bed area, the High Court did not permit the use of that land for developing the race course.
BTC’s writ petition in the High Court, contending that it owned the land, resulted in failure, with the court giving six months for the club to vacate its premises following the expiry of the lease agreement with the government on December 31, 2009. The High Court Division Bench strictly confined itself to interpreting the position under law and did not go into supplementary issues. The Club too did raise them in its writ.
The present dispensation at the club has been initiating dialogue with the Chief Minister in order to get an amicable solution without going to the Supreme Court. But with the past chairmen expressing serious doubts about developing a race course at the land shown to the club due to various complications that may arise at a later stage, it is learnt that the unanimous decision at the meeting seemed to be to go ahead with the general body mandate of going to the Supreme Court with a SLP and also continue negotiation with the government if such dichotomy is possible. If the club files the SLP, it may incur the displeasure of the government. If it does not, it may stand to lose yet again.
The land identified for the turf club is in close proximity to the area earmarked for SEZ. There is a small hillock that runs to about 30 acres of the total of 120 acres. Some portion of the land is said to be forest area where there are substantial numbers of trees. The land has been reportedly earmarked by the Forest Department for social forestation though the ownership of the land has not been clear cut as per the records available with the government. The past chairmen felt that the club may run into problems while cutting the trees which are substantial in number. Since the land is not oval in shape, the total length of the track cannot run more than 1800 metres as per the initial estimate. The area surrounding the identified land is said to be more suitable in that it is flat. These were said to be the observations at the meeting
There seems to be no unanimity in BTC with regard to anything; be it identifying its senior counsel for representing it in n the Supreme Court or negotiating with the government. BTC wants everything on a platter. The men who matter at BTC don’t want to find a way out of any problem imposed by the topography of the land. Everything has to be in ship shape. In addition to this, any move by one section is vetoed by the other. BTC as an institution seems to be incapable of marching ahead unless of course the Supreme Court gives it some respite. In short most people at BTC want to stay put at the same place even if such an attitude may result in shutting shop in the long run.
BTC has no political clout, no money power, not even unity!
Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa is very keen on giving some land as he has time and again expressed that he needs the club land to fulfill his vision of building a tourist attraction along with developing a theme park even if his plans may run into legal hassles. The government readily sanctioned the land at Chikkajala tank bed area when the BTC sought that land but since the land allotted was a tank bed area, the High Court did not permit the use of that land for developing the race course.
BTC’s writ petition in the High Court, contending that it owned the land, resulted in failure, with the court giving six months for the club to vacate its premises following the expiry of the lease agreement with the government on December 31, 2009. The High Court Division Bench strictly confined itself to interpreting the position under law and did not go into supplementary issues. The Club too did raise them in its writ.
The present dispensation at the club has been initiating dialogue with the Chief Minister in order to get an amicable solution without going to the Supreme Court. But with the past chairmen expressing serious doubts about developing a race course at the land shown to the club due to various complications that may arise at a later stage, it is learnt that the unanimous decision at the meeting seemed to be to go ahead with the general body mandate of going to the Supreme Court with a SLP and also continue negotiation with the government if such dichotomy is possible. If the club files the SLP, it may incur the displeasure of the government. If it does not, it may stand to lose yet again.
The land identified for the turf club is in close proximity to the area earmarked for SEZ. There is a small hillock that runs to about 30 acres of the total of 120 acres. Some portion of the land is said to be forest area where there are substantial numbers of trees. The land has been reportedly earmarked by the Forest Department for social forestation though the ownership of the land has not been clear cut as per the records available with the government. The past chairmen felt that the club may run into problems while cutting the trees which are substantial in number. Since the land is not oval in shape, the total length of the track cannot run more than 1800 metres as per the initial estimate. The area surrounding the identified land is said to be more suitable in that it is flat. These were said to be the observations at the meeting
There seems to be no unanimity in BTC with regard to anything; be it identifying its senior counsel for representing it in n the Supreme Court or negotiating with the government. BTC wants everything on a platter. The men who matter at BTC don’t want to find a way out of any problem imposed by the topography of the land. Everything has to be in ship shape. In addition to this, any move by one section is vetoed by the other. BTC as an institution seems to be incapable of marching ahead unless of course the Supreme Court gives it some respite. In short most people at BTC want to stay put at the same place even if such an attitude may result in shutting shop in the long run.
BTC has no political clout, no money power, not even unity!
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