Take action against Bengaluru’s Bowring Institute for illicit work: Panel

The Bowring Institute in Bengaluru, which houses a historic property, could face legal action for breaking the law by conducting unapproved construction work, according to a Special House Committee led by MLC Ravi Kumar. It said that clubs that begin development without the necessary approvals and certifications would face legal repercussions.

The committee recommended that clubs with dress codes eliminate limitations on traditional Indian clothing. Additionally, it said that clubs must provide membership to the members of the Assembly, Council, and Lok Sabha that have authority since the government has granted them property at discounted prices.

It said that clubs should provide accommodations for athletes who have excelled at the national and international levels as well as defense personnel who have shown extraordinary courage.

The committee recommended that the Constitution Club be established right away and that it should have all the amenities available by the following year on property that the government has set aside for it at the Balabrooie Guest House. It made clear that the establishment of the Constitutional Club will benefit current and past members of both houses of the legislature.

The Public Works Department, BBMP, and the Bangalore Turf Club conducted a combined land survey, and the results were reported to the committee. The study suggested that BBMP determine the tax liability and initiate prompt action to collect overdue taxes.

The group suggested turning the current Bangalore Turf Club land into a green lung area and moving the club to either Kunigal Stud Farm or Jakkur Aerodrome.

The panel convened with the club president and office bearers at the Cosmopolitan Club in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, in September of last year. The president requested that the government seize the Rs 18 lakh that the club gets from business partners. The committee suggested that the Bangalore Development Authority provide the remaining funds to the government and take action to permit the use of twenty-five percent of the funds for service-related purposes.

The committee said that because the government has given clubs inexpensive property, the clubs must accept public hospitals and schools. It said that members pay enormous dues that the middle and upper middle classes cannot afford. Club taxes should be increased to 5-7 percent; now, they barely pay 2 percent.