Shimla: Tussle between Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and Shimla Municipal Corporation is turning nasty as today HPCA officials have accused Shimla MC, especially Tikender Singh Panwar, Deputy Mayor for working against Lal Pani cricket academy with malafide intentions.
Earlier, last week Shimla MC has accused the HPCA for violating environmental norms in the construction of the cricket academy and trespassing into private property of government employees. MC also alleged that the approach road to cricket academy goes through residential area of Lalpani. Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar said that the HPCA made constructions on the original approach road and is now trespassing through residential area. He also made clear that the corporation will never allow such a move.
HPCA vice-president and Shimla District Cricket Association president Surinder Thakur and Mohit Sood, Press secretary HPCA criticised the move of corporation and dismissed all allegations. They said that the HPCA is a registered Company under the Companies Act, and promoting cricket in the state with the sole aim & object of enhancing Cricket and related activities.
They criticised the action of Deputy Mayor and corporation to stop the passage of Academy and termed it undemocratic and against the public interest in large and would create complete shutdown of the Academy. HPCA officials claimed that the same path has been used by the people for the last many years and HPCA was using it ever since the government of HP has given it on lease.
HPCA has raised the doubts over the intention of corporation behind the blocking of passage of academy without giving due notice.
HPCA officials advised Shimla Municipal Corporation and its Deputy Mayor Tikender Singh Panwar to concentrate on serious issues like monkey menace, stray dogs, the problem of the merged areas, lack of clean and healthy water, non functional street lights, bad roads, sanitation and garbage disposal, lack of parking facilities, over charging by the MC contractors and above all the lack of sports and playing facilities for the people of the town.
