Ad hoc body will run cricket administration in HP: CM

Dharamsala: Justifying his actions of cancelling the land lease with HPCA, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday said that an ad hoc body has been formed to run the cricket affairs in the state and all the matches will be held as scheduled.

"An ad hoc body has been formed to control cricket in state and it shall be expanded with inclusion of cricketers and cricket lovers," Singh told PTI, without elaborating further on the issue. Speaking at a function here, Singh denied accusations of being autocratic, saying that HPCA was given prime land on a nominal rental to function as a society and not as Company. "Government has given land at Rs one per year to develop cricket to HPCA, which was a society. Later the HPCA changed itself to a company, which is not acceptable to us, so we have cancelled the lease. Where is the dictatorship?" he asked. Singh assured that matches scheduled in the state will not be affected by this move. "Government is in continuous touch with the BCCI on the subject of cricket matches in Himachal after the taking over of the properties of HPCA and we are assured that the matches shall go on as usual," he said. The Congress government took over the Dharamsala cricket stadium and all other HPCA properties in a midnight drama, hours after state cabinet meeting chaired by Singh decided to cancel the lease deed of the land allotted to HPCA on Saturday night.