Bengaluru: The 147 year old Bangalore Club which is under private ownership will soon be confiscated and the state government will take over the land.
According to Mahesh Babu, assistant commissioner of Bengaluru North taluk, the decision comes after it is confirmed that the club had no proper documents to claim its ownership. Now the state government has sought ownership papers from the club, which is the most expensive real estate land in the district.
“The land was probably donated to the club by the British Army or the Mysore Maharaja. But the documents produced failed to convince the Legislature Committee how this huge tract had come into the club’s hands. It is a violation of the Retrocession Act,” Mahesh Babu said.
Based on a Legislature committee report, a government order has been issued and the 13 acre land will be confiscated within seven days, Mahesh Babu said.
Kagodu Timmappa, Assembly speaker had formed a committee to probe the functioning of clubs in Bengaluru and other cities. The committee, headed by A Manju and comprising MLAs Ajay Singh, T Raghumurthy, H D Revanna, B Y Raghavendra, Vasu and Guru Patil, was mandated to look into land ownership, purpose for which land was granted and present use, and the clubs’ style of functioning. The committee also examined whether the clubs were practicing discrimination on the basis of dress and other considerations.
The friction between state government and the club started in December 2014 when R P Sharma, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Railways, took offence when a security guard dared to question his membership. The guard was beaten up by Sharma’s men and following this incident the club had suspended Sharma’s membership for a month.
It is reported that after the suspension, BBMP, the Karnataka Pollution Control Board and the Excise Department started inspecting the club suddenly.
However Dr Thomas Chandy, vice-president, Bangalore Club, denied the government’s stand and said, “The Bangalore Club has all the required documents and we have submitted them to the court. Reports about the government taking over the club are not correct.”
