The Apex court provided the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) a reason to smile. In what is seen as a positive development from BTC's point of view, the Supreme Court bench hearing the Special Leave Petition (SPL) of BTC on Thursday asked the Karnataka government to show greater clarity on what it proposes to do with the race course land in the event of the club having to relocate.  And pointing to the government that a race course is located in almost every city in the world. The Karnataka Advocate General then sought time to reply and the matter was posted for March 25.  

The government had filed an affidavit to the court that it proposed to create a lung space, raising a mini forest on the existing race course land. The counsel for the defendants argued that the race course was already serving the purpose, a lung space dotted by greenery. The court then asked the BTC counsel to come up with a proposal on how they plan to improve the greenery on the 70-acre race course.  

It may be recalled that the then Yeddiyurappa government had refused to renew the lease of the land and had asked the club to shift out making it clear that the government was not obligated to provide alternate land for the construction of a new race course. The Club then approached the High Court and the high court judgment floored BTC, the Club told to shift out in six months while also directing the government to develop the race course as a mini reserve forest.  

Shocked by the high court order BTC along with the owners and breeders in the game filed a SPL and the matter had been pending admission for the last five years before the matter came up for arguments and hearing on Thursday. 

BTC has all along maintained that the race course was a good lung space dotted by trees and well maintained greenery. In fact the Club, it is learnt had provided the government a blue-print on how it proposed to develop the lung space and make it all green. But the government was keen to push BTC out of its existing premises.  

The club had contended that shifting the race course without an alternative facility would cause undue hardship to more than 2000 people employed by the club for racing activities. And without proper connectivity the sport would fail to draw the racing buffs. Further no hardship would be caused by continuing the race course at the existing place as it also effectively served the requirement of good lung space for the city which was what the Karnataka Government also planned to do. 

The Supreme Court Bench will take up the case on merits after getting the response from the Karnataka Government and the Bangalore Turf Club.