Former Chairman K.A. Muddappa clarifies on reports of lease renewal

Mysuru: The State Government has not yet renewed the lease of Mysore Race Club (MRC). 

It was published in Star of Mysore on July 7 this year that the lease has been renewed for 30 years after hectic parleys between the Government and the Leasing Committee.

Reacting to the news item, former Steward and Chairman of MRC K.A. Muddappa, this morning, expressed his surprise that though the report had mentioned that the lease has been extended to 30 years by the then Congress-JD(S) Coalition Government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy, no such lease has been renewed yet.

The report had mentioned that the lease was renewed after over 12 meetings between the Government and the Leasing Committee. The then Tourism Minister S.R. Mahesh, the then Mysuru District Minister G.T. Devegowda and PWD Minister H.D. Revanna were present during the discussions. 

The lush green 139.30-acre Race Course land was leased out to the MRC by the Public Works Department.

Participants of the last meeting that was held in this regard felt that the lease must be renewed for 30 years keeping the best interests of tourism in mind, the report had stated.

Reacting on the contents of the news, Muddappa also said that no doubt those who were present at the meeting  might have tried their best to get the lease renewed for 30 years but the truth is that the MRC lease has not been renewed as on today. 

When Star of Mysore asked Muddappa what could be the reason for giving the news to the newspaper when in fact the lease was not renewed and only the request was pending with the Government, he said may be to get some publicity for future officers’ election in the MRC.