Mysuru: After successfully evicting several temporary illegal structures at Mysore Race Club area well within the deadline, Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh has turned his eyes towards illegal permanents structure here.
After inspecting the Race Club for over one and half hours, the Minister has now told the Mysore Race Club authorities to clear off all the illegal permanent structures within three months, failing which, he warned of disconnecting facilities like water, electricity and Bar license to the club. The structures are mainly stables and accommodation for the caretakers of the horses.
The minister took the race course authorities to task for putting up illegal structures in the Club area for accommodating the horses and care-takers, without seeking permission from the Corporation. The Minister was shocked to see that apart from the illegal temporary structures, three permanent structures too were built. On an average, each structure houses over 20 stables and in this way the number of horses and caretakers ran into thousands.
“If a poor man encroaches an inch of land, you make hue and cry. Here, the rage and action- both are missing,” he told the Corporation officials adding that the race club’s mismanagement and negligence was strangling the beauty of the city. He told the race Club authorities that they have the permission to hold races, but they have to make other arrangements for keeping the horses and their caretakers.
“There is no Under Ground Drainage system here in this illegal structures. I can only be considerate enough to allow a hundred horses in the present premises and shift the rest of the horses and the caretakers to the outskirts of the city. If they keep constructing illegal structures here, where do we get lung space? Though I have pressure from various quarters and members from Mysore Race club, I am not going to succumb to those pressures. I am more worried about my people and my city,” he said.
Anantha Raj Urs, Secretary of Mysore Race Club said that the decision with regard to clearance of the structures will be taken during the next meeting of the Club.
“Based on minister’s directions, we had removed eight temporary structures. In foreign countries there is a separate place to conduct race, train and groom horses but not in India. In the present race course we have all facilities under one roof including swimming pool for 456 horses. If we want to have separate facilities we need more space and government help,” he said.
Police Commissioner Subramanyeshwara Rao, Additional Deputy Commissioner Yogesh, Corporation Commissioner Jagadish, DCP Vishnuvardhan and other officials of Mysore Race Club and corporation were also present.
