While Dr.Singhania had his share of supporters, his recent letter to the
Government of Maharashtra to close down racing and to develop the
Mahalaxmi racecourse has caused him to lose a number of his friends and
admirers and raised a hornet's nest. Dr.Singhania who continues to be
the member on the Managing Committee of the RWITC has certainly angered
the members of the club and they are pressing for an EGM to remove him
from the committee. The move is gathering momentum, with more than 300
members signing the requisition. The RWITC committee, which is meeting
over the weekend at Pune, will decide on the future course of action.
For once there seems to be total unanimity on the course that the
committee needs to take to defend the interests of the club and that of
racing.
Dr.Singhania, who is also the Sheriff of Mumbai (a largely ceremonial
post), had written a confidential letter to the Government of
Maharashtra on April 10 this year, which virtually called for a halt to
racing at Mahalaxmi. The letter, which got extensive publicity in the
media, received wide scale condemnation for Singhania's outburst, which
was not backed by any evidence. What has surprised onlookers is that Dr.
Singhania has decided to act thus, even though he continues to be on the
RWITC Committee and has been elected to protect its interests and not
work against it.
Dr. Singhania has alleged that racing in Mumbai had become "a parking
place for, and a generation center of illegal/mafia money. The public
has no interest left in it. Both the central and state governments lose
substantial income resulting from the illegal activities being carried
out openly!"
Dr. Singhania has asked for the race course to be converted into a world
class park, night safari, animal enclosures, children's playgrounds,
cafeterias, etc. and also has proposed putting up the tallest tower in
the world on the line of the Burj Tower in Dubai.
Dr. Singhania said that such a project could help the State of
Maharashtra to wipe out one-third of its debt to the Center.
Over 300 members of the RWITC have requisitioned the Committee to call
for an Extra Ordinary General Meeting to remove Dr. Singhania as a
Committee member. As per the Articles of the Club, the Committee shall
call such a meeting if not less than 1/10th of voting members send a
valid requisition. This number has already been far exceeded. It is
gathered that a simple majority of the members present and voting at
that meeting is enough for removal of Dr. Singhania as a Committee
Member.
In a detailed response to the various allegations made by Dr. Singhania
in
his letter, the RWITC has sent an official reply to the media on its
salient features as under:
Dr. VPS: "Parking place for illegal/mafia money"
RWITC :It is a statement made without any fact or basis. Racing has
flourished over the years and is the only sport with legalized betting.
Dr.Singhania would need to establish the mafia connection, as alleged.
Dr. VPS:"The public have no interest left in it and both the Central and
State Governments lose substantial income from the illegal activities."
RWITC: The total cumulative attendance at Mahalaxmi/Pune race courses
for the year 2004/5 was 885,188 making our sport of racing as the
highest watched spectator sport in Maharashtra on a year round basis.
The RWITC's contribution to the State exchequer by way of taxes, license
fees and ground rent was Rs. 23.74 crores in year 2004/5, the highest by
any race Club in the country.
DR. VPS:"The bulk of the income comes from renting out cell phones,
birthday and marriage parties, renting of lawns and not from racing for
which the land was rented out by the BMC."
RWITC: The percentage of income from the above heads (non-racing)
referred to by Dr.Singhania was about 20% of total revenue and the bulk
of the Club's income comes from betting on the totalisator and
bookmakers.
DR. VPS:"The 200 acre property needs to be converted into a world class
park with night safaris, animal enclosure, children's playgrounds,
cafeterias, walking areas, picnic spots."
RWITC: The Club already has a walking/jogging path and maintains a
beautiful garden for public use. Amateur riding polo and other
equestrian activities are encouraged in the center portion. There is a
cafeteria nearby and the vast open green area has all kinds of flora and
bird species which are preserved. The citizens at large welcome this.
Building a "tallest tower" would destroy the natural environment that
the RWITC has maintained.
DR. VPS:"Let it not be run as a mafia controlled gambling den".
RWITC: The RWITC takes strong exception to these remarks. The Club is
run and has been run by eminent citizens from all walks of life. Dr.
Singhania was himself a past Chairman and is presently on the Committee.
The Government of Maharashtra appoints nominees on our Board to act as a
watchdog to ensure fair, clean and professional administration. There
has never been any objection, from any quarter, on the integrity of the
management or the sport.
RWITC: The RWITC lodges its strongest objection on the tone, content and
intent of this missive from Dr. Singhania. Dr. Singhania's act of
addressing a personal communication to the Government of Maharashtra
(which virtually calls for a closure of the club and the sport of
racing) without first tabling it before the Board, of which he is a
Director, has serious fiduciary implications and has agitated a vast
number of members of the Club and the citizens of the city of Mumbai.
