Bangalore Turf Club (BTC), which has so far resisted attempts by the State government to increase its membership base, will make another attempt to convince its members to accept new members.
An extraordinary general body meeting (EGM) has been convened on November 15 to pass five proposals, including a special resolution to increase the membership — a move that has received approval from the government. The club proposes to amend the Memorandum and Articles of Association to accommodate more members.
While there are 350 members currently, it is proposed to increase the number to 400, and for the first time, a fee of ₹5 lakh plus applicable taxes have been imposed on those elected or nominated as club members. Incidentally, in 1978, after a similar face off with the government, the club had increased the membership base by 100.
Licence renewal row
The stand off between the club and the government over the last few months has seen both on-course and of-course betting at the BTC coming to a standstill, this is after the government refused to renew betting licence over several issues, including increasing the membership base. While the alleged doping of a filly and mishandling of the club affairs are being probed by the CID, the government has decided not to renew the betting licence till the inquiry is completed. The CID report, though ready, is yet to be submitted to the government, sources said.
Sources in the club said it was for the first time that a hefty membership fee was being proposed. “Till now, a member who got elected had to pay a fee of around ₹2,500. We are not sure as to how this EGM will pan out. At the previous EGM, a couple of months ago, a similar matter was placed before the members, but it was rejected.”
While Finance Department Additional Chief Secretary I.S.N. Prasad had in the past written to the club that the licence for betting was not linked to the membership issue, the current decision to increase the membership base has tacit approval from the government, sources said. In response to a letter from the BTC seeking the government’s approval for the proposed five amendments, Mr. Prasad — who is also the licensing authority — while conveying the approval, had also indicated that the government was of the view that the fee should not exceed ₹5 lakh per member.
Though the government is not openly linking the membership issue to licence issue, it is being seen as something that is linked, a member said. He said the notice sent to the members, intimating them of the EGM, also stated that the proposal to increase the membership strength had been brought up now to meet the situation in the best manner possible where the club’s interests and the government’s expectation could be reconciled in a spirit of cooperation.
An explanatory statement on the special resolution also states that the change in the Articles of Association of the club envisages an increase in the strength of club membership from 350 to 400 in view of involving the participation by the government of Karnataka through broadbasing membership by inducting nominees of the government.
Meanwhile, confirming that the EGM is scheduled for November 15, BTC chairman Harimohan Naidu said the proposals would be placed before the members, who will have to decide to either accept or reject them.
Winter racing still on hold
With the government not renewing the licence for betting, winter races at Bangalore Turf Club seem to be in limbo. “We doubt whether the licence will come through before the EGM on November 15, by when normally winter races would have started,” a source in the club said.
BTC chairman Harimohan Naidu said they would be able to start winter races only after obtaining licence. “We have been seeking government permission for the same.” He said the club’s finances were not very good. “We do not have money,” he added.
