HC gives time to state govt to engage counsel in HPCA case

The Himachal Pradesh High Court today gave time to the state government to engage a counsel in the petition filed by Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association against the cancellation of land lease and takeover of its properties.
A division bench of Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Kuldip Singh fixed the hearing on November 5.
The counsel for HPCA opposed the prayer for more time on the plea that this matter cannot be delayed and the state should be directed to restore possession of the property taken over unilaterally by it.
The HPCA had filed a petition yesterday challenging the cancellation of lease of the lands and resumption of its properties, terming the action of the government as "malafide, arbitrary and against natural justice".

The HPCA is headed by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, son of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, and the lands were given to HPCA when Dhumal was in power.
Meanwhile, Congress state vice-presidents Harsh Mahajan and Gangu Ram Musafir, General Secretary Harbhajan Singh Bhajji and spokespersons Naresh Chauhan and Kuldeep Singh Pathania today lashed out at Anurag for converting HPCA into a company from a registered society and asked him to tell the people of the state the reasons behind this move.

In a joint statement issued here today, the Congress leaders asked Anurag to make the names of the Directors of the company public.

"He should also reveal that how much money was earned by HPCA from IPL matches at Dharamsala cricket stadium and how much money was invested by Anurag himself for promotion of cricket," the statement reads.
"Anurag has himself accepted the fact that HPCA is no more a society but now it is company and this move exposes his intention to establish monopoly on HPCA," they said.
They said cricketers, cricket fans and people of the state need not worry about the future of cricket following the takeover of the stadium and other properties and said the Chief minister had already assured that the decision won't affect cricketing activities in the state.