The Division Bench of Karnataka High Court dismissed BTC`s petition against termination of lease and directed the turf club to vacate the premises by September 22. The High Court has not directed the government to provide alternate land for relocating the existing race course. The government was directed to preserve the BTC premises as an open space and create a mini forest. The court also said that the tank bed area at Chikkajala and Doddajala be preserved as one and said that the land cannot be used for purpose of relocating the race course. The High Court`s judgment thus closed all the escape routes for the beleaguered turf club which is now fighting against the wall for its very survival. The turf club is planning to file a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court order.

	File photo : Bangalore Race Course

It may be recalled that the government of Karnataka had refused to renew the lease of land beyond December 31, 2009 and had directed the club to shift its activities to Mysore. The government had offered to allot the land at Chikkajala for purpose of relocating the race course and was willing to consider giving extension of time. However, the turf club`s special general body directed the club not to compromise with the government and take the issue to the court and to claim that the grant of land given to the club in 1915 was absolute. Further the club said that it was willing to consider shifting if the government gave more than 150 acres of land, tax holiday and financial grant for building a new race course. It had stated that the club would require a minimum of five years to rebuild a new race course.

The High Court order has come as a big setback for racing in Bangalore. With the Bangalore Turf Club in no financial position to either buy land or put a new infrastructure in place, racing in Bangalore is in jeopardy. The lack of leadership on the part of the Bangalore Turf Club has brought the club to this state. The turf club had repeatedly resisted the government`s move to shift the race course in the last two decades and refused to take the alternate land offered to it.

The decision of the High Court is sure to hurt the interest of racing industry as a whole as Bangalore is a major racing centre. If racing were to collapse here, it will have huge repercussions, with the industry itself coming under severe strain. The Bangalore Turf Club had acted well under crisis in the past but it remains to be seen how it will handle this major setback.

Even if Bangalore Turf Club were to manage to get more time from Supreme Court, the writing is on the wall. The turf club has to relocate and find ways and means to do it or face the prospect of perishing.