‘Shutting turf club down will be too heavy a punishment’

The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) can finally breathe a sigh of relief. In all likelihood, it will be in possession of the Mahalaxmi racecourse plot till 2013, the year when its lease expires.

Municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak has assured that the BMC will not terminate RWITC’s lease over breaches committed in the agreement. He said the breaches identified by the BMC were not serious enough to merit termination.

Municipal corporation’s estate department, which owns the piece of green, had earlier served termination notices on RWITC. After the club failed to furnish a satisfactory reply, the department put up a note before the commissioner, recommending RWITC’s eviction as a strong option. Phatak, however, said that the RWITC could be let off with a penalty.

The estate department had objected to ‘subletting’ operation and maintenance of Gallops restaurant at the racecourse to a third party without its consent. It also observed that illegal constructions were made out on open spaces inside the racecourse. In January, RWITC chairman Cyrus Poonawalla had assured Phatak that all illegalities will be rectified unconditionally.

The department recommended action against RWITC in March, observing that most breaches were yet to be rectified. In another matter dealing with the turf club, an interim report on the feasibility of construction an elevated flyover running over the stables at the racecourse to decongest traffic at Haji Ali circle, has been submitted to the BMC. Among the many options suggested by the consultants is the option of constructing a Y-bridge running over the racecourse plot.