Al l
HEAD OFFICE
226, AWAI SHANMUGAM SALAI, ROYAPETTAH, CHENNAI -600 014.
“1 am by the people, I am for the people” – Puratchi Thalaivi J JAYALALITHAA
I.S.INBADURAI, B
Party Advocates Wing Secretary
30.07.2024
To
The Chief Secretary,
Government of Tamil Nadu,
Secretariat, Chennai — 600 009.
Sir,
It has come to our attention that Racing Promotion Pvt Ltd, in Association with the State Govt of Tamil Nadu, intends to conduct the Formula 4 race that was scheduled to have been conducted during the start of this year, but owing to the Michuang cyclone the race had been postponed. We have learnt through various sources the intention of both the parties to now conduct the race once again in the style of a street circuit in the city of Chennai. Already Chennai streets are in utter shambles. It is poorly maintained and none to address. The government has shown its abject ignorance in maintaining it or calling upon the local body to attend to it. While the entire city was under water and Cyclone struck the city, the Government wanted to have a car race. It is similar to NERO playing the fiddle while Rome was burning.
Uniformly, the citizens of the State found it is irresponsible. This prompted several Writ Petitions being filed before the Hon’ble High Court of Madras challenging the very conduct of the race within the city limits of Chennai. Various objections were raised and pointed out to the Hon’ble High Court who had taken cognizance of the same, and had issued various directions to the Private Concern as well as the State. At this juncture, it is my utmost duty to once again reiterate and remind the promoters of the event on the various ill effects and contingencies that would be faced by the citizens of the city of Chennai if the race is conducted, the same are enumerated as hereunder:
1 . The style in which the race is proposed to be conducted is in the manner of a street style circuit, which would mean that various major roads would have to be blocked so as to prevent traffic from interfering with the conduct of the race. As was proposed earlier, the track would be a 3.7 KM track running along the streets of Chennai, starting from Island grounds enroute
Flagstaff road, Anna Salai, Swami Sivananda Salai, Napier Bridge and Kamarajar Salai. Unequivocally, the aforementioned streets are all major roads connecting various hotspots across the city, and any restriction of traffic would cause immense pain and prejudice to the people of the state. Every State must endeavour to follow the Constitution in its full letter and spirit and cannot muster actions that fall devoid of the same. The State intends to conduct an entertainment event under the guise of a sporting event allegedly to bring in more revenue to the state. The State cannot act in benefit of certain private individuals and deem the same to be of public importance. The Constitution mandates that once public largesse has come into the picture the state cannot be biased or swayed away by favouring a few.
- There are multiple hospitals like Omanthurar Multi Specialty Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital and M.G.Ramachandran Central Railway Station along the proposed track. It must be stated that the proposed cars are extremely loud and the sound emanat:ng from these cars could go up to 120 decibels. Such high sound levels could impact the patients housed in these hospitals deeply, and could cause them immense mental and physical distress. This has to be taken into consideration prior to the conduct of the race and further more noted the separate race track is there in Irungattukkottai. If the race is conducted there the public money and public damages will be avoided.
3 It must be reiterated that the proposed race cannot be termed as a sporting activity and will only be termed as an entertainment event. The State cannot allow certain individuals to benefit from the usage of public funds to unjustly enrich themselves under the guise of conducting a “sporting event” - The usage of public funds to conduct an event in collaboration with a private individual/company seems outrightly discriminatory and against the basic tenets of Article 14 of the Constitution of India. Public funds can only be used towards the betterment and development of infrastructure for the public at large. As stated supra, the honest taxpayers money cannot be used by the State at their own free will, to enrich a few individuals/companies. There must be a reasonable nexus between the object and usage of the public fund, the common factor being the beneficiaries of such a synergy would the public at large and not just a certain group of people
- At this juncture, it must also be pertinently pointed out that the matter is pending adjudication before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in SLP (Civil) No. 10926-10929/2024 wherein the Hon’ble Supreme Court has granted a stay on the payment of Rs. 42 Crore by the private company to the State prior to conducting the said race. The stay was granted on the direction of the Hon’ble High Court of Madras to M/S. RPPL, to deposit a sum of Rs 42 crore that was utilized from the Public State Fund. Furthermore, the High Court of Madras had directed the Private Company to also additionally deposit a sum of Rs. 15 Crores in advance prior to conducting the subsequent races, the Supreme Court has not granted a stay on this direction of the Hon’ble High Court of Madras and is pending adjudication
- The government should first appraise itself of the difference between a sport and an entertainment. Racing is not a sport, but an entertainment. Uttar Pradesh had levied Entertainment Tax for the Formula 1 Event, after the levy of the entertainment taxes, the event was scrapped in toto and the Indian Circuit was shifted to Azerbaijan. Hyderabad has abandoned the Eracing project. It is known to have high risk and loss of lives, if a minor mishap occurs. The State of Tamil Nadu has a duty to protect people and their lives. Already, the State is losing its balance and murders are taking place at regular intervals. Ironically, it is the members of the Political party other than the DMK who are the victims. Without first addressing the immediate needs of the people, if the administration is going to run a race, the purpose of priority is lost. It would be misgovernance at the peak Merely because one of the Ministers being deeply interested in the event, it does not mean the State should endorse it much against the wishes of the people.
- Furthermore, you are cautioned that any loss of life would be treated as a murder as knowing fully well of the risk, you are deliberately exposing the public to danger. Moreover, the order of the High court is not complied with and the supreme Court is seized of the matter. While so to conduct the race will be against the spirit of the order of the Madras High court and contempt of the Supreme Court. Hope the Chief Secretary, apprises himself of the need and priority the State deserves to immediately attend rather than being in the luxury of wasteful expenditure
For the reasons aforementioned, it is therefore humbly stated that the aforementioned objections are taken into consideration by the appropriate authorities and keeping in mind the ethos of the Constitution and welfare of the public at large prior to conducting the proposed race in the street circuit format within the city limits of Chennai.
Regards
(I.S.INBADURAI)
