B’luru racecourse to be shifted to Kunigal; Rs 39 cr annual rent until relocation
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a major decision to relocate the historic Bangalore Turf Club from the heart of Bengaluru to Kunigal in Tumakuru district. The racecourse will be shifted to the Kunigal Stud Farm area. As per the decision taken at Cabinet meeting, a total of 110.20 acres of land — including 101.24 acres at Kunigal Stud Farm and an additional 8.36 acres along the Bengaluru–Hassan National Highway — will be leased to the Turf Club for 29 years. The annual lease rent has been fixed at 2.5% of the guideline value.
Sources said the Bangalore Turf Club has agreed to fully relocate its operations to Kunigal within two years. Much of the required infrastructure for racing activities is reportedly already available at Kunigal.
The Bengaluru racecourse has a history of over a century. On September 9, 1923, the Maharaja of Mysore had earmarked 83.14 acres for horse racing and training. The land later came under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD). Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil stated that once the racecourse is shifted, the prime land in the city centre will be developed as a green zone. An audit report had pointed out that the lease rent for the 83.14 acres allotted to the Turf Club had not been revised since January 1, 2010. Acting on this, the Cabinet decided to collect rent at 2% of the club’s annual revenue retrospectively from 2010.
Until 2009, the Turf Club was paying only ₹25.94 lakh annually as rent. Even thereafter, no revision had been implemented, leading to substantial financial loss to the government, according to officials. Cabinet calculations suggest that if 2% of annual revenue had been charged, the rent would have amounted to approximately ₹39.45 crore per year. The government has now decided to recover pending dues based on past revenue figures.
The government also cited severe traffic congestion in central Bengaluru, especially on race days, as a key reason for the relocation. In contrast, Kunigal has hosted racing activities since 1992 under the name Kunigal Stud, with adequate infrastructure and minimal traffic concerns.
Local MLA welcomes move
Kunigal MLA Dr Ranganath welcomed the decision, stating that the relocation would spur local development. He noted that the historic 420-acre stud farm area is internationally known for its breeding operations, with about 250 horses maintained across 111 acres for breeding purposes and hundreds of workers employed daily.
According to him, the project is expected to generate over ₹500 crore in annual revenue and create significant employment opportunities in the region. While acknowledging that some issues may arise, he assured that they would be addressed.
