Bengaluru: The executive committee of the Constitution Club on Thursday decided to set up the proposed recreation centre for legislators on 2.3-acre prime land near the chief minister’s official residence on Kumara Krupa Road in Bengaluru.

Legislative Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad told that the committee members, at a meeting, arrived at a consensus that the Constitutional Club be set up at the identified location.

Earlier, there was confusion over the location of the proposed the Club, owing to the controversies surrounding the nature of the proposal and the location chosen. The committee had earlier eyed the Carlton House on Palace Road, which houses the Criminal Investigation Department, and the Balabrooie guest house.

Following much opposition from civil society, the committee was forced to change its decision, especially after the state Cabinet failed to give its approval to the same.

The land owned by Public Works Department (PWD) currently houses residential quarters of Group D employees.

It is located close to the chief minister’s official residence ‘Cauvery.’ Most of these employees work at the Kumara Krupa guest house. These employees will be asked to shift to new quarters.

It has been planned to include a swimming pool, badminton and tennis courts (both indoor and outdoor), health club, spa and gym and a library. The cost of the proposed recreation centre is yet to be estimated.

Also, following the recent demise of a member of the executive committee – former minister Rajavardhan, the members decided to appoint Congress MLC and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s parliamentary secretary K Govindaraju in his place.

Meanwhile, Koliwad held a meeting with secretaries of PWD, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Urban Development Department and Revenue Department and directed them to transfer ownership of some of the properties to the legislature.

Koliwad said that properties such as the Legislators’ Home, certain wings of the Vidhana Soudha, the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi and the driver’s quarters at Lalbagh should ideally be in possession of the state legislature. These properties are in the possesion of the PWD now.

The Speaker has issued directions to this effect as the Assembly and Council secretariat are paying property tax for these buildings and not the PWD.

The Speaker gave these directions, despite the Cabinet having opposed the proposal.

The meeting also discussed the proposal to establish legislators’ township. The Revenue department had proposed 50 acres for this project at Kadugodi plantation opposite ITPL in Bengaluru. Since this land is under litigation, the members have asked the department to get the litigation cleared, or hand over some other land instead.