Chief Minister Yeddyurappa assured that he would give land and time to Bangalore Turf Club in an informal chat with this writer after Meet The Press programme organized by the Press Club of Bangalore and Bangalore Reporters Guild on Thursday. The meet was organized in connection with the successful completion of two-years of BJP rule in Karnataka.

``The decision to shift the race course is final. There is total unanimity on this score,`` Yeddyurappa said. ``The High Court has fixed September 22 as the deadline for the turf club to vacate its premises. Though the court has not mandated giving any alternate to Bangalore Turf Club, I am giving them land. It is in the process of finalization. About 120 acres of land in Doddaballapur is being identified as most suitable land. Let them start the work, then I will give time as well,`` Yeddyurappa added.

This piece of news coming as it does straight from the horse`s mouth should provide comfort to scores of anxious race goers all over the world who are worried about the fate of racing in Bangalore following adverse High Court judgment in BTC`s petition against the government. The present dispensation at BTC had initiated dialogue with the Chief Minister about solving the problem amicably but there was no official word from Yeddyurappa about his stated position as the talks that the BTC had were with government officials with tacit approval from him. This is the first time that Yeddyurappa has revealed his mind in the open forum. Despite the Press Meet being a hostile one due to the abrupt resignation of Loakayukta Santosh Hegde, the Chief Minister did not show any irritation while answering questions form this writer on the future of racing in Bangalore. In the Press Meet itself, the Chief Minister had said that the government was indeed committed to shifting the race course. ``Being so close to the Vidhana Soudha, you are all aware of what is happening,`` he said possibly expressing his displeasure on some counts about the happenings in BTC.

The Bangalore Turf Club is filing a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict. The club has once again sought to raise the issue of grant of land, with the plea that the verdict of High Court was against merits and that the matter needed to be addressed once again by the highest court in the land in the light of enormous repercussions it would have on the racing industry in India. It remains to be seen what reaction the Special Leave Petition will provoke from the Chief Minister though it is very clear that he is in mood to give land and time provided the club toed his line of thinking. Even the Media Advisor to the government R P Jagadish said that the Chief Minister is keen on giving time if the work at the venue started in right earnest.