Gross violations in allotment of lands to HPCA: Ex-minister

Former Himachal Pradesh Sports Minister Ram Lal Thakur today alleged that the erstwhile BJP government had given prime plots of land to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) for peanuts in gross violation of norms.
"The previous BJP government leased out even the ground of Government Senior Secondary School for Boys, Lalpani in Shimla to the HPCA for a cricket academy, committing gross irregularity," Thakur, who is also the chairman of State Level Planning Development and Twenty Point Programme Committee, told reporters here.
"HPCA (headed by Anurag Thakur) has been given land in Khaniara, Dharamsala, Nadaun, Gumma and Shimla during the previous regime," he said, adding "... The entire issue warrants a thorough probe and all these lands should be retrieved by cancelling the lease."

"No other sports association had been given any benefit by the previous regime... Benefits were showered only on the cricket body which has become a family enterprise," he said.
Releasing details of land benefits, Ram Lal said HPCA was given 4.31.16 hectares land in Mohal Khaniara and 49,118,25 square metres at Dharamsala in Kangra district, 4.31.16 hectares in Nadaun in Hamirpur district and 1.61 hectares in Gumma near Kotkhai in Shimla district.
The ground of Lalpani Senior Secondary School, measuring 9265.21 square metres was given to HPCA on token lease money of rupee one per month, he said.
The land was transferred by the sports department to HPCA for cricket academy and it deposited about Rs 1,500 for the ground and pays annual lease money of Rs 12, though as per the rules amended by previous BJP government only, the cost would have been Rs 7 crore per year, he said.

The former minister also alleged the HPCA had submitted two balance sheets, one in company's name (with same office bearers) and another in society's name and alleged that the HPCA used the village common land leased out to it for sports promotion for construction of a five star hotel.