After three long months the management committee of the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) has finally gained the licence from the Karnataka government to conduct offcourse betting and the betting operations at the club will resume from Wednesday, Sept 2, on Kolkata races. The Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) has framed a  card of seven events including the first classic of the season, the Calcutta Fillies Trial Stakes, which has failed to attract a sizeable quality field, only four contestants in the fray for the seven furlongs event. 

The licence gained is for a stipulated period of one month, that effectively means that BTC can conduct offcourse betting on all centres without a hitch till Sept 30, the ninth day of the main Mysore season scheduled to start on Thursday, Sept 3. Committee member Dr.Prashanth in a telephonic chat with indiarace.com revealed that after all the required clearances, BTC gained the go-ahead in the afternoon and at short notice managed to impress on the 27 bookmakers and the tote operators to get the ball rolling in less than 24 hours, not willing to miss out on the first opportunity to get the cash registers ringing after the frustrating lull. 

"Fake and false messages were making rounds, a few painting the committee black despite the fact that the committee members almost on a daily-basis were pacing up and down the corridors of power, sorting out a few minor issues and a couple of requirements the club needed to address to the satisfaction of the government," said Prashanth. It is clear from the one-month time period, that BTC has no real option to explore and in the interest of racing the onus now is on the club members to toe the government line and clear the decks at the Special EGM scheduled on Sept 16. 

BTC chairman L Shivashankar when posed with the question, will the club members agree and respond favourably to the conditions imposed on the club? in the all-important Special EGM said: "The members understand that the club is facing a financial crisis and in the interest of the sport they need to play with a straight bat on a sticky wicket." A couple of senior members disclosed that at this point of time, the members need to go along with the government, taking into account that the club needs the support of the government while moving out and constructing a new race course on the 110-acre land at the Kunigal Stud Farm offered by the government. 

The 110-acre land is offered on a 29-year lease period with an annual rent of 2.5 percent on guidance value. The management committee, it is learnt has impressed on the government that the 2.5 percent rent, approximately nine crore a year, will hit BTC hard, and a generous concession would be appreciated. Sources in the government financial circles revealed that it may be cut down to 0.5 percent of the guidance value at the time of final settlement. 
The rent apart, the real bone of contention was the tenure for the four acres needed to continue betting operations in the existing premises. BTC Steward Arvind Katarki revealed that after a series of negotiations with the government the committee has asked the government to provide the same lease period (29 years) for the four acres at the existing premises and that the government has agreed in principle, but the matter has to be put forward before the cabinet before arriving at a final settlement period for the land, which apart from providing room for betting operations, BTC proposes to build a state of the art club house. 

The all-important final compromise petition the government is seeking needs to be filed before the Supreme court and the government is not willing to make any compromise on that. The committee members are aware of the government stand on the compromise petition and the club members too understand that it's time to move and go along with the government rather than fight legal battles.