Vindictive politics has started in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the lok Sabha polls with the State Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau getting political approval from the ruling Congress to register a FIR against Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) for anomalies in its high-end hotel “The Pavillion” at Dharamsala.
HPCA is headed by BJP MP and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal's son Anurag Thakur. He is also the President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP. The hotel in question is the place where international and domestic cricket players stay, whenever there are any Indian Premier league (IPl) cricket matches or One Day International (ODI) cricket matches at Dharamshala international cricket stadium. last week, State Government had charge-sheeted two senior IAS officers Deepak Sanan and RS Gupta for converting the land use of the HPCA hotel and has been asked to reply within ten days. Both the IAS officers were considered close to previous BJP Government. According to the allegations, these IAS officers had converted the land use of the hotel which was to be run by HPCA from non-commercial residential complex for players to commercial venture, without obtaining clearance from state cabinet.
Sanan was Revenue Secretary at that time while Gupta was then deputy commissioner Kangra who forwarded the request of Anurag Thakur for conversion of the hotel into commercial venture to Sanan who in turn granted permission. “We have got a nod from headquarter to register a case against HPCA” said deputy inspector general of police (vigilance) A.P Singh. The vigilance has permitted its north zone police station in Dharamsala to register case under section 406 and 420 of Indian Penal code.
The nod from headquarters comes following completion of the investigation conducted by vigilance (North) unit which was probing the complaint alleging that company under the name of HPCA was registered in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. According to sources, investigations revealed that in year 2005, a company under name of Himalayan Players Association was registered in Kanpur and two months after the registration of company it was renamed as Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).
In 2009, HPCA (the company) migrated to Chandigarh from Kanpur and applied for change of address at office of registrar co-operative societies in Chandigarh.
Inquiry conducted by vigilance (north) also revealed that HPCA, while applying for the land lease for the hotel had concealed the fact that association was registered under companies act. The HPCA had applied for land lease for construction of residential complex for players which was later turned into a high end hotel called ‘The Pavilion’.
HPCA had applied for land lease to the state government and youth services and sports department in October 2009 recommend 3.28 hectares of land for construction of residential complex for the players. What has raised more questions is that HPCA’s letters to registrar of cooperative societies in 2012 informing the office, that general body meeting of the HPCA had passed a resolution saying that HPCA was now a company along with assets and liabilities.
HPCA and Anurag Thakur has been credited for bringing Himachal Pradesh Cricket into international maps with the successful conduct of ODIs and IPl matches and construction of world class infrastructure just on the foot hills of Dhauladhar range of Himalayas.