BENGALURU: In a move to rein in the club class, a committee of the State Legislative Assembly has recommended stringent provisions to regulate the functioning of Bengaluru’s elite recreational clubs.
Ironically, the committee comprising MLAs seeks to bestow upon the legislators the membership of these highly soughtafter clubs. One of its recommendations is that MLAs, MLCs and MPs be given membership of two clubs of their choice. It also recommended that exservicemen and sportspersons who represented the country be given membership of the clubs that have got land or other benefit from the state government.
The House committee, headed by Congress MLA N A Haris (Congress), was constituted to look into the functioning of these prestigious clubs after complaints that they denied entry to people, including politicans, wearing Indian traditional attire like the dhoti and kurta.
In many of these clubs, casual footwear and collarless T-shirts are not allowed. The committee has now recommended doing away with the dress code and also regulating the membership fee.
It had recommended that the Indian attire be allowed because “they are the symbols of our tradition and culture”. The committee report, along with the draft of the proposed ‘The Karnataka Regulation of Entry to Public Places and Regulation of Clubs Bill 2016’, was tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday.
The Bill becomes an Act after it is passed by both the Houses of the state legislature. Recommending regulating the activities of the clubs, the committee also suggested suspension of licence of a club if found guilty of carrying illegal activities. It also suggested that the land given to such clubs on concession or lease too be cancelled after giving them a hearing.
The Bill seeks to empower the police officers above the rank of Inspector or a Tahsildar and taluk magistrate to conduct search or seizure in any club, if the officer has a reason to believe that it is used for gambling or any other illegal activity. The Bill says that those violating the provisions shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees or with both.