The Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club (JWGC), which is reportedly operating illegally on the land leased to the Mysore Race Club (MRC) by the Public Works Department (PWD), has made a requisition for Rs 1.5 crore from the Tourism department for laying an automatic pipeline on the course for watering the lawns and plants.
The club has sought the funds despite having assets worth over Rs 6.4 crore and deposits in banks to the tune of Rs 9.5 crore with an average annual income of more than Rs 90 lakh. In a letter addressed to the additional chief secretary of the Tourism department, dated December 17, 2014, the then president of JWGC, P M Ganapathy, had sought the amount.
Pointing out that the government had released Rs 60 lakh to the JWGC in 1989, president of Karnataka Kannada Vedike, Suresh Babu, asked how the Tourism department could fund an organisation illegally functioning from a government land. Babu petitioned the superintending engineer of the PWD on Friday to file a criminal case against both the MRC and the JWGC for misusing public land and deceiving gullible people who have become members of the JWGC by paying exorbitant fees.
He has demanded the arrest of the office-bearers of the JWGC and attachment of all moveable and immovable assets of the Club, which have been earned through the illegal use of the PWD land.
S Devegowda, an activist, has complained to the Tourism department that the JWGC has misused the funds sanctioned by the department in 1989 to buy a plot to establish its Club House. “The Vedike had already petitioned the superintending engineer on February 8, 19 and also on 23 about the violation of the agreement by the MRC and the irregularities of both the MRC and the JWGC, seeking legal action against the erring clubs. But, so far there is no response from the PWD. It is learnt that, based on the petitions, the executive engineer had been directed to issue a notice to the MRC. However, the reply of the MRC has not been communicated to the Vedike,” said Vedike general secretary ‘Dairy’ Venkatesh.
The letter of the JWGC to the Tourism department states that the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is supplying treated sewage water. How could the MCC supply water to a body, which is illegally operating from a government land, questioned Venkatesh.
Environmentalist Bhanu Mohan alleged that most of the funds earned by the JWGC had been diverted for creating immovable assets and for recreation of the members and their family members.
“The JWGC has purchased a piece of land nearby and constructed a Club House with a bar and guest rooms. While the players, who have won laurels in even national-level tournaments, are being harassed, the office-bearers and their near and dear ones enjoy all the privileges. To protest its interest and to silence those who question the irregularities, the Club has been giving officials of the jurisdictional Nazarbad police station complimentary membership,” she claimed.