Madras Race Club refutes T.N. government’s charges of violations
The club said it had the oldest racecourse in the country, and that it stood as a 300-year-old symbol of the rich heritage of Chennai.
The issue originated with the State government demanding huge rentals with retrospective effect, and the matter is now sub judice as the Division Bench of Madras High Court has stayed the proceedings, the club said.
The club noted that it had already represented to the government to keep the lease rentals on par with other organisations like Madras Cricket Club and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, whose lease rentals are calculated with respect to the percentage of their revenue.
“It is from this perspective and in terms of equity, the exorbitant claim of lease rentals by the government of Tamil Nadu, in relation to the market value of the land, needs to be reviewed,” the statement by the club said.
This aside, the government also decided to terminate the lease agreement stating “alleged violations” regarding the terms and conditions of the lease. The government claimed to do so on the grounds that activities of the Gymkhana Golf Annexe were permitted on the racecourse, structures on the premises leased to the club were commercially exploited, and also that there were discrepancies in the land records.
The club stated these allegations were baseless and that it could demonstrate the land availability and of how the property was being used.
“We may further clarify here that any extent of land, if any, remaining to be reconciled, could be best addressed by the government, as the unreconciled portion represents encroached land within the knowledge of the government during the period of 1986-1996, when under their control,” the statement said.
The club also refuted the claims of the discrepancies in the land records and clarified that no land has been sold or gifted by it.
With nearly 500 horses, the continuance of racing activity is crucial at the club as it provides livelihood to nearly 5,000 persons. It is also to be noted that the club pays Rs 10 crore as taxes to the government, it stated.
Published - September 18, 2024 04:46 pm IST
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