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Army and Dhumal in battle over historic Shimla site

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Date: Thursday, 22/08/2013, 15:04 | Post # 1

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Army and Dhumal in battle over historic Shimla site

The army and the Himachal Pradesh government are rowing over the historic Annadale ground in Shimla.

The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) is demanding possession of the ground it has been with the army since World War Two for developing a stadium, but the army insists the country's security can't be ignored for 'games and gimmicks'.

The western command has accusing the administration of working at the behest of the land mafia to build a cricket stadium on the ground, ignoring the forest cover near it.

But in a counteroffensive on

Saturday, the Western Command issued cheap ralph lauren polo a press statement saying the

stadium proposal could destroy one of the last green preserves of'The state seems hellbent on

destroying the meagre forest cover, all at the behest of the land mafia

eyeing phenomenal profits which the stadium project would bring. It says 'the ground is a base for launching disaster managementA portion of the ground was used by the Durand polo ralph lauren Football Tournament Society instituted in 1888. It was a hub of activities during British rule and was also a race course.

The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, headed by CM Dhumal son Anurag Thakur (below), wants the ground to be transferred to the state for developing a stadium.

According to Dhumal, the

issue was brought to the Centre notice when the NDA was in power. It was decided to provide alternate

land to the army for its activities and vacate the ground for sports events in Shimla.

But the army is insisting on its rights over the land. To prove that, ralph lauren uk it plans to display its prowess in a disaster management exercise

at Annadale on Monday.

'That Shimla is reeling under the effect of unplanned urbanisation is no secret. One shudders to think of the impact the stadium and associated malls, shopping and housing complexes and hotels would have on the forested area around Annadale,' it ralph lauren stripe polo said.

A livid Dhumal responded on Sunday: 'I will file a defamation case against the army. It cannot accuse us of landgrabbing. I will write to the PM and defence minister. The defence lease expired in 1982 and the owner of the ground is the state.'

The army has been using Annadale as a training camp and for operational and logistic activities since the War. Its recent statement said the ground 'has been jointly used by the civil administration and army for disaster relief exercises'.

The fight for it started in 1990, when the army objected to the parking of a state chopper. During 199899 Dhumal took up the issue with then defence minister George Fernandes.

The request for the land, sources said, was turned down by the ministry. A ministry letter last year had said: 'Any change in the status of the ground will impede army chopper operations.'

The rift came to the fore this January too, when the army objected to the state's plan to start Heli Taxi service to draw tourists from Annadale.

While Anurag has managed 1.8 lakh signatures to stake claim for the ground and organised a rally in Shimla this month, the state opposition is also not in favour of handing over the land to ralph lauren polo shirt the state. It sees the stadium as a 'gimmick to grab the land'.

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