Himachal News- Anuraag Thakur’s cricket on rough wicket in Himachal!

Dharamsala, September 11, 2013: All the officials of HPCA working at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala were not available at the stadium, which was locked yesterday, prior to the serving of the Registrar of Societies notice to HPCA by the district administration in Dharamsala.

Since the change of Dhumal-led BJP Government in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress government is working out about the so-called illegal controlling of the association and its assets by HPCA, which is led by Dhumal’s son Anuraag (President HPCA) since 2000. A case was registered in the court at Dharamsala by anti corruption department on August 1 against HPCA pertaining to the irregularities of the association act.  And on Tuesday another jolt to Anuraag’s regime came when a notice was served by Registrar Societies.

The cricket body, led by BJP MP Anuraag Thakur, has been given 15 days time to reply, the show cause notice of Registrar of Societies Himachal in respect of the serious violations of Societies Act, particularly in changing its status from a 'cricket promotion society' to company, and signalled its imminent takeover by appointing an Administrator. Registrar of Societies RD Nazeem on Tuesday a nine-page notice had been served to HPCA at Dharamsala. Notice say that if HPCA fails to reply the government shall proceed for taking over of HPCA’s assets, including the international cricket stadium at Dharamsala. Additional Deputy Commissioner Kangra, Rohan Thakur has informed the government about the notice.

The notice seeks to initiate action against HPCA for alleged grave violations in running the affairs of the cricket body as well as for its dual entity as a society registered under the Himachal Pradesh Societies Registration Act and as a company registered at Kanpur initially as Himachal Cricket Players Association (HPCA) in 2005.

In July, the registrar sent a communication to HPCA raising questions about its change of status from society to company after having been granted a 99-year land lease at a highly concessional rate of Re 1 per month and another 3.28 hectares for Hotel Pavilion. In his reply, HPCA secretary Vishal Mawah admitted the society had been merged into a company under the same name of HPCA. He, however, justified the action and claimed that most cricket bodies in the country had converted themselves into companies as per directions of the BCCI. "No illegality was committed. The HP Registration of Societies Act permits so under Section 44," his reply says.

Not accepting the argument, the Registrar's notice said, "You (HPCA) are no more a society. It's a company formed illegally and dishonestly. No prior permission of the Registrar was taken to dissolve the society — which had been given land at concessional rates for sports promotion activities."

The Registrar also rejected the HPCA's stand that it had not obtained contribution from the government and thus was free to change its status and form a company along with transfer of assets. "The land was given by the government to a society registered under the state's laws and statutes. The land is certainly a contribution of the youth services and sports department," said the official legal note.