The State government has directed Bowring Institute, an elite club located on St. Mark’s Road, to return 150x100ft plot to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike since it sub-leased the property to set up a petrol bunk by violating the original agreement.
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting here on Tuesday, Revenue Minister R. Ashok said the prestigious club has violated rules and misused the property by leasing it out to set up the petrol bunk. The Comptroller and Auditor General, in its 2014 report, asked the State government to take back a portion of land leased out to Bowring Institute for not utilising it for the intended purpose.
In its report on Revenue Sector, the CAG said the land was granted for the purpose of establishing a club under rule 19 (4) (VIII) of the Karnataka Land Grant rules. The report said the institute had sub-let 150x100 ft land to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in 1969 after obtaining permission from the government. The order stipulated that the lessee shall remit 50% of the lease rent collected from the IOC. The lease period was for 20 years, and it was later extended, it added.
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The CAG report said from the chain of events, it is evident that the land which was sub-let to IOC was not required by Bowring Institute for its intended bona fide purpose of running a club.
Mr. Ashok said the institute has violated the original agreement and it would be asked to return the plot to the BBMP.
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Meanwhile, refuting the charges, club secretary H.S. Srikanth said the land has been leased based on a government order on February 11, 1969, in which the institute had to part and lease the land with IOC, a Government of India undertaking.
“The circumstances that were prevailing then was that Cantonment area suffered shortage of kerosene, petrol and diesel. The land was leased to ensure supply of essential commodities,” he said. He further said that the 50% rental has been submitted to the treasury regularly since 1969 and till September 2019. “The IOC has already been intimated that there will be no more extension of the lease as the club requires the area for its own activities,” he said.
Referring to the CAG report, Mr. Srikanth acknowledged that there was a notice issued by the Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner seeking explanation over the issue on November 19, 2018. He said they had replied to the notice and it was accepted by the Deputy Commissioner’s office.