HPCA row: Himachal writes to BCCI

Ahead of a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) meeting, the Himachal Pradesh government Wednesday clarified that the state cricket body, registered as a cooperative society, is subject to proceedings for alleged irregularities.

State registrar of cooperative societies R.D. Nazeem, in a missive to the BCCI, said the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) is registered under the Societies Act and subject to proceedings under its Section 41 over alleged irregularities.

Official sources said the letter was sent ahead of the BCCI meeting scheduled in Mumbai Sep 29.

The registrar of cooperative societies issued a show-cause notice to the HPCA Sep 7 over alleged irregularities in registering the sports body.

It has restrained the HPCA governing body from passing any order or resolution, or making any expenditure or investment or banking transaction or performing any other act concerning the affairs of HPCA without the approval of the additional deputy commissioner of Kangra district.

"The purpose of sending this communication is to point out the true facts about the state of affairs with regard to the HPCA, as per the facts gathered by the registrar and the media reports that the HPCA is claiming to be duly authorised body to attend the meeting of BCCI on Sep 29," said the letter signed by Nazeem.

He further said: "There is substantial interest of the state government in proper functioning of the HPCA as the association has been given public largesse in the form of land and other facilities, being a registered society under the act, constituted for the purpose of development of cricket in most transparent manner".

Interestingly, HPCA president Anurag Thakur told reporters in Dharamsala that the HPCA is not covered by the societies act.

In a setback to HPCA, the state high court Sep 19 directed Thakur to appear before the registrar of societies in Shimla.

Dismissing a petition filed by the HPCA and Thakur for quashing a notice issued to the cricket body by the registrar of cooperative societies, a division bench of Chief Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Kuldip Singh directed the petitioners to appear before the state registrar of cooperative societies Sep 30.

Thakur is also a joint secretary in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The court asked them "to submit objections and preliminary objections, which shall be decided by the registrar of societies".

The HPCA had challenged the notice, saying it was converted to a not-for-profit company Oct 1, 2012, and hence it was not a registered society and the registrar of societies could not exercise any jurisdiction over it.

The state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau last month filed a cheating and misappropriation case against the HPCA over alleged wrong-doings in allotment of land to the sports body for constructing a residential complex for the players near its stadium in Dharamsala.

The land was allotted when the BJP government, headed by Prem Kumar Dhumal, was in power in the state. Thakur is Dhumal's son.