No clarity yet on PRIME PROPERTY

No clarity yet on PRIME PROPERTY

Even as there are fears that the real estate lobby will take over prime property at BTC, the green brigade is pushing for a park Anil Kumar M | TNN
Bangalore: Even as the Bangalore Turf Club seems to be in a state of denial, hoping against hope that it would be allowed to stay at its current location, the government is rather firm that it will stick to the Dec. 31 deadline.
Most intriguing is the government’s total silence on what it intends to do with the prime property. Other than some vague hints, there has been no clarity from the government about the end-use of the race course.
The government viewpoint also is that it isn’t hustling the club out of its location. It says the idea of shifting the race course out of city limits has been there for the past 30 years. A senior official maintained that the matter is so serious it figured in last year’s (2008-2009) budget promises.
“Normally, such issues (shifting of race course) are just announced through an order or circular. But, this government thought the matter was so serious that it found a place in the budget. No government likes to go back on promises made in the budget, unless it invites severe public criticism,’’ sources maintained.
There are, of course, examples of government’s withdrawing budgetary promises. S M Krishna announced his government would permit department stores to sell beer and wine. When this proposal led to heated debates in both Houses of the legislature, it was withdrawn. Even Yeddyurappa had to eat his own words after announcing he would permit 1,000 fresh bars and wine stores across the state.After the CM made an announcement that BTC’s licence would not be renewed beyond December 31, 2009, he’s held several rounds of meetings to move race activities out of city limits.
One more idea running in the minds of top brass in the government is to utilize a small portion (5 acres) of the existing race course land to build a heritage centre. Yeddyurappa, during the Vijaya Sankalpa rally in Bangalore, went on record about it.
Large and medium industries minister Murugesh R Nirani proposed that India’s tallest tower be built there. He has chalked out a blueprint to construct a 100-storey trade centre modelled on New York’s World Trade Center (WTC). Nirani told TOI he would toe the CM’s line on the matter. The government’s idea is to bring together business and government agencies involved in trade and trade services and stimulate the economy of the region it serves. The tower is expected to put all services associated with commerce under one roof. A mix of office space, indoor and outdoor observation decks, restaurants, multi-level shopping malls, clubs, public parks, jogging and walking tracks and lots of parking space — including five floors below the ground. Another site identified for Bangalore’s WTC is the 35-acre Karnataka Soaps and Detergent Ltd (KSDL) land in Rajajinagar.
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Let’s save the bengaluru green; no concrete jungle in the bangalore turf club; raise your voice for our bengaluru; pass it on to as many people as possible.