CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government’s allegations about violations by the Madras Race Club are baseless and the club has paid all the lease rentals at the contracted rate in advance, an official statement of the club said on Tuesday.
The club had entered into a 99-year lease agreement on March 8, 1946 with the Governor of Madras for the existing race course and paid the contracted rate in advance, in response to the TN government’s claims, it said. The current issue is because the government is claiming ‘exorbitant’ rentals with retrospective effect and that the demand for lease rentals is subjudice with the matter before the Madras High Court, the club added.
The club claimed that it has not gifted or sold an inch of the land and gave details of its utilisation. It also termed as baseless the allegations of the government about permitting activities of Gymkhana golf annexe, commercial exploitation of structures in the club and discrepancies in land records. Properties of club are only used by members for social occasions and that this is free from profit, it said.