HPCA moves High Court for stay on demolition orders

Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), headed by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, today moved the High Court for a stay on the orders of Shimla Municipal Corporation to demolish the Academy building at Lalpani here.
The SMC had served a notice on the HPCA on September 2 after it lost the case in the lower court to demolish the building within five days, failing which the Corporation would pull down the "illegal structure" at the cost of HPCA.
The Municipal Corporation which had already disconnected the electricity and water supply of the building maintained that the Academy building had been constructed in the green belt where all sorts of constructions are banned.

HPCA, however, claimed that the land was given on 99-year lease to it by the state government and all required permissions were obtained from the Union Forest and Environment ministry prior to constructions of the building.
However, the civic body which is the competent authority to pass the building plans in the city has maintained that it had not even approved the maps of the building and as such there was no question of getting environment clearance from the Union government.
As many as 80 budding sports persons were being imparted training in this academy.