Will the Beggars' Colony make way for Turf Club?

Will the Beggars' Colony make way for Turf Club?

Sudipa Chakraborty. Bangalore

For the state government, relocation of the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) is a mystery that remains unsolved. While the plan to shift activities to Mysore has faced stiff resistance from the BTC authorities and employee, the proposed alternative land near Chikkajala is waiting for a clearance from the High Court. The latest development amidst the hullabaloo is that the government has finally offered the Beggars' Colony on Magadi Road as an alternative site to BTC.
According to sources, a four-member BTCteam visited the Beggars' Colony to survey the site. Spread across 159 acres, the colony at Somanahalli on Magadi Road is about 15 kms away from the city. The Beggars' Colony that houses 922 inmates was established in 1944 to serve as a rehabilitation centre for people arrested while begging.
In a span of one week, the government has offered two alternative sites to BTC — one at Hegdenagar near Nagavara, and the other is the Beggars' Colony. The site at Hegdenagar was dropped because of encroachments.
Speaking to DNA, one of the BTC members confirmed, "Yes, the government is trying to provide us with alternative sites since the land near Chikkajala has a High Court stay order. A team of BTC officials has visited the Beggars' Colony to make an assessment of the area. The water capacity of the land is quite satisfactory there, but no boundaries have yet been set."
Even when the government is scurrying to provide an alternative site to the BTC, officials of the turf club and employees are still waiting for a final confirmation. "Everything is fluid now. Nothing has been confirmed. We are just looking at various sites. We will have to wait till we arrive at a conclusion," he added.