Himachal Pradesh Congress has welcomed the state government decision of cancelling the lease of lands given to the HPCA and subsequently administration has taken control of all of HPCA’s properties including five stadiums across state and luxury hotel at Dharamshala.
In a press conference, attended by State President Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Harsha Mahajan, vice president state Congress, Rohit Thakur, CPS, Naresh Chauhan, spokesperson, state congress, Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, Subhash Manglate and Geeta Negi. Sukhu supported Govt decision and stated that BJP MP led HPCA has violated norms set under society act. He said that over 200 bigha land was leased out by the state government to HPCA society for the promotion of sport in the state. However, Anurag Thakur had used it for commercial gain, he accused.
He said that Anurag Thakur has converted HPCA society into private company, which is illegal and claiming to be the owner of it. Sukhu questioned the intension of Thakur and stated that Govt land can’t be used for personal gain and land leased out to society for the promotion of game can’t be owned by any company. He claimed that HPCA has 25 members, five out of them are from Dhumal family and 10 are non-Himachalis, which in itself raises doubts. He added that all members were charged Rs. 25,000 for membership and were made whole time members with voting rights.
Harsh Mahajan said that rule of society act were superseded, which can’t be as per norms and twisted in favor of Anurag Thakur, so that he could remain president of Cricket Association unchallenged. Mahajan also questioned the claim of BJP leaders, who are claiming that HPCA is a public property. He said that Anurag Thakur, in his reply to the Registrar of Societies, claimed that HPCA is a company registered under the Companies Act of 1956 and does not come under the purview of the state registrar of cooperative societies. It seems that Anurag Thakur has even misled its own party personnel, Mahajan added. He also accused HPCA for encroaching government land and even demolishing old buildings near Dharamshala ground.
