The row between the Shimla municipal corporation (SMC) and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) gets murkier with the civic body demanding independent inquiry into alleged irregularities in the construction of the cricket academy.
Mayor Sanjay Chauhan and The civic body records pointed out that the previous BJP government, HPCA and two SMC officials were hand-in-glove for the construction of the cricket academy, they alleged.
Tikender Singh Panwar alleged that the HPCA was constructing the cricket academy by setting aside all rules and regulations.
The civic body records pointed out that the previous BJP government, HPCA and two SMC officials were hand-in-glove for the construction of the cricket academy, they alleged.
Chauhan said the civic body would write to chief minister Virbhadra Singh seeking an independent inquiry into the matter. He also demanded action against those SMC officials who were instrumental in giving no objection certificate (NOC) for the construction of the academy by flouting rules and bypassing the MC House, which is entitled to take decision in accordance with the rules and regulations under the MC Act.
“The erring persons and officials should be put behind the bars,” he demanded.
“The matter of lease of the land to the HPCA was taken up by the House on August 29, 2011, wherein both the Congress and the BJP councillors rejected the proposal outright, asked to again bring it in the next meeting of the House after calculating the lease money. However, since then, it was tabled in the House. The mandate of the civic body was ignored completely by the officials who granted the NOC,” he said.
Nevertheless, the then SMC commissioner in a letter dated July 15, 2008 had issued a NOC to the deputy commissioner for a land measuring 2,555.34 sq meter comprising Khasra number 911 and 922, while in another NOC he added another Khasara number 1060/1, he revgealed.
According to the MC records, he said, the HPCA had approached the Single Umbrella Committee (SUC) thrice, but the third time the planning permission for the proposed cricket academy was rejected on September 15, 2011 in a communiqué, stating that the area fell under green belt of the Shimla planning area, where no construction is allowed except re-construction on old line.
Nevertheless, the then SMC commissioner in a letter dated July 15, 2008 had issued a NOC to the deputy commissioner for a land measuring 2,555.34 sq meter comprising Khasra number 911 and 922, while in another NOC he added another Khasara number 1060/1, he revgealed.
According to the MC records, he said, the HPCA had approached the Single Umbrella Committee (SUC) thrice, but the third time the planning permission for the proposed cricket academy was rejected on September 15, 2011 in a communiqué, stating that the area fell under green belt of the Shimla planning area, where no construction is allowed except re-construction on old line.
Meanwhile, Panwar said as they were the elected representatives of the public, it becomes their prime duty to protect the interest of the city residents and also to protection the civic property.
Both Chauhan and Singh appealed to the people to support them to crush corruption, which was raising its heads in Shimla.