A Karnataka Assembly committee on Tuesday brought out several recommendations for clubs in the state, including giving membership to all legislators and banning dress codes. The panel has also annexed a draft Bill – the Karnataka Regulation of Entry to Public Places and Regulation of Clubs Bill, 2016 – to codify the recommendations, which also include regulating membership fees for all non-profit clubs, Deccan Herald reported.

If the Bill becomes law, all state MLAs, MLCs and MPs will be allowed to join two clubs of their choice in their constituencies, according to the recommendations. However, the provision will only apply to clubs that have received financial assistance from the government or have obtained land from it at a concessional price. Distinguished sportspersons, ex-servicemen with gallantry awards and civil servants will be entitled to become members of one club of their choice, according to the draft Bill.

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The proposed law also recommends a ban on gaming and gambling. The recommendations come despite objections by clubs and their federations, who claim their autonomy will be curtailed by the law. Federation of Clubs General Secretary HS Shrikanth said the formation of clubs and their administration “is guaranteed by law”, The Hindu reported. “Members voluntarily determine if membership fees have to be hiked to create infrastructure, or to subsidise certain facilities, he said.

Other club officials said they could not remove their existing members to accommodate legislators from the state. Shrikanth also called the recommendation allowing police officers to enter club premises without a warrant “absurd”. “It is far-fetched for the government to assume illegal activities happen in clubs,” he said. Karnataka has 2,315 clubs, with the government having allotted land to 37 of them.