The government tabled the Karnataka Race Courses Licensing (Amendment) Bill, 2020, in the Legislative Assembly on Monday to make provisions to delegate powers to the officer authorised by the government in the interest of better management of licensing, control and management of horse racing.
The bill is aimed at amending the Karnataka Race Courses Licensing Act 1952 (Karnataka Act VIII of 1952), and enhance the penalty amount.
In November last year, the Public Accounts Committee of the Karnataka legislature had directed the government to stop all racing activity at the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) from December 2, 2019.
The committee, headed by Congress MLA H.K. Patil, had taken serious note of lapses in the functioning of the BTC. The committee had unanimously decided that all racing activity must be stopped from December 1 and that the government should charge all dues from the race course organisation before December 1.
The BTC is estimated to owe ₹32.86 crore to the government, which is 2% of its turnover, as annual rent between 2010-11 and 2017-18. The amount it was supposed to have remitted to the government between 1989 and 1998 is still due, the PAC noted.
On defacement
The Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was tabled to extend the applicability of provisions of the said Act to any other area falling within municipal corporation area or areas falling under the BDA or any other urban development authority constituted under the relevant law.
