Another controversy seems to be brewing between Himachal Pradesh Government and HPCA (Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association) as the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation has decided to demarcate the land of hotel, The Pavilion, to check the encroachments, allegedly made on common land.
Sources said the Sub Divisional Magistrate has been asked to carry out the demarcation on Wednesday itself and give report within a few days.
Dharamshala Mayor, Rajni Vyas said that she had been getting constant complaints of encroachments by the HPCA contractors on the common land of the village.
She said, "The contractors have covered the land adjoining the site for storing construction material and the labourers staying at the site have been using open area for defecation, causing unhygienic conditions for the residents."
Due to heavy construction activity of the stadium and the hotel, a natural stream ( nullah) had been blocked with construction dump and causing threat of water logging in the area, she added.
Expressing ignorance about the move, HPCA Executive Member and younger son of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Arun Thakur termed it another tactical move of the State Congress Government to target HPCA.
He said that the major construction activity on the hotel site had been over and it was hard to understand that the people around it had been complaining at this stage.
The controversy over the HPCA stadium and hotel is not new, as the Congress government int he state had taken over the possession of stadium from the HPCA in 2013, and the possession was restored to the HPCA by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Thakur said that the HPCA had been giving a lease of around 30 lac to the state exchequer every year, and if still the government tries to play politics on the name of stadium, then HPCA will reply appropriately.
He said that no notice has been given to the management till now and if it comes then only the reply will be given.