Government has no intention to trouble any club: House Committee Chairman A Manju

Bengaluru: Amid controversy regarding scrutiny of clubs across the city and the state, House Committee Chairman A. Manju sought to allay their apprehensions and said the government is trying to regularise them.

Excerpts from an interview.

Why are the clubs in Bengaluru being asked to prove ownership over the property possessed by them now, when they have been functioning for the more than 100 years?
The state Legislative Assembly constituted a committee to look into the affairs of the clubs in Bengaluru in the wake of increasing complaints of wrongdoings against them. Some of them have taken licence and other approvals without following rules and regulations. Managements of a few clubs established in the pre-independence era seem to have no regard or respect for the country’s laws and the Constitution. They take rules and regulations for granted. Our intention is not to trouble any club or organisation. They have to respect our laws. They might have committed mistakes in the past out of ignorance. It is time to correct such mistakes. Being a former member, I had requested the management of the Bangalore Club to give details sought by the government and set things right. But the management did not oblige, and rather stated that it would fight it out in the court of law.

What will the government gain by this when there are serious issues such as garbage and bad roads to be attended to on priority?
The House has set up committees to look into various serious issues. Our committee will look into the affairs of the clubs. My job is to look into the complaints of wrongdoings against the clubs and submit a report to the government.

What actions will be taken against the clubs which have been found violating rules and regulations?
The committee has already issued questionnaires to all the clubs in the city and in other parts of the state. It is awaiting their replies. Details such as origin, their activities, excise licence, and commercial activities if any, have been sought. These clubs are those running on the land taken on lease from the government from departments such as Public Works, BDA, Agriculture and Revenue. Questionnaires have been issued to clubs in the city such as Bowring Institute, Century Club, Golf Club, Bangalore Turf Club, Karnataka Golf Club and Bangalore Club. Around eight clubs in Bengaluru have replied to the questionnaires. The committee is not in a haste to submit its report. It will meet once the ongoing sessions end and take a decision on the action to be taken.

What action will the Revenue Department initiate against the Bangalore Club?
The Revenue Department will take action against the Bangalore Club based on the High Court’s direction. As the matter is in court, I can’t comment on it.

Whose land is it anyway, is it the Government’s or the club’s?
If the club proves its ownership before the court, then we obviously have no say on it. Otherwise, the government will take over the property. The club did not produce documents related to ownership over the land when the committee asked it to do so. The club management has not replied to the committee’s questionnaire. It is not forthcoming with the title deeds what the government wants. The documents they have produced so far are not sufficient to claim ownership. Moreover, I have learnt that three months ago, military personnel landed on the club’s premises claiming that the property is defence land.

These are instruments of harassment: Bangalore club member

It is a settled possession for over 147 years and the club has been enjoying it without any encumbrances for the said period of time. Now all of a sudden how can the government claim the property is theirs? Unlike in adverse in the case of the Bangalore Palace that has been fighting a legal battle over years together now, there is specific time limitation to raise an issue over ownership of a certain land.

This very lapse of ‘time limitation’ would make the case untenable for the government. It is ridiculous on the government’s behalf to demand proving of ownership from a private party, as the onus is on the government to prove (by producing relevant records) that the land belongs to them, if they are claiming so. With the genesis of the Bangalore Club, only the reverse logic of proving ownership will be justified. These are all just instruments of harassment by the government.