Shimla: The army and the Himachal Pradesh government appear to be heading for a confrontation over the strategically important Annandale ground, which has been in possession of the army since the Second World War.
Snubbing the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) once again for demanding possession of the ground for developing a multi-purpose stadium, the army yesterday said the country's security can't be ignored for any game.
"The fact that Annandale ground is of strategic significance for the army from the national security perspective can never be ignored in favour of any game and gimmicks," a Western Command statement said.
The army does not allow the 48.4-hectare green patch, just 3 km from Shimla's Ridge, for civilian use.
The army clarified that "the ground is [a] base for launching disaster management and relief operations."
Public rally
The HPCA headed by Anurag Thakur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker and son of chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, took out a public rally in Shimla earlier this month, demanding the transfer of the ground to the local administration.
Dhumal said the state would present a memorandum prepared by a local group, Citizen Forum Annandale, to the federal government claiming the ground to build a multi-purpose stadium.
A statement by the chief minister's office said top government officials had been briefed about the matter. He urged lawmakers from the state to meet the prime minister and the defence minister to ensure that the ground was handed back to the state as its lease had expired 30 years ago.
The army, however, said: "The strategic significance of Annandale as a forward logistic and operational base for operations in the sector adjoining Himachal Pradesh is being overlooked in preference for a cricket stadium."
The army argued: "Shimla and adjoining areas are located in a high seismic zone. The significance of Annandale for disaster management was witnessed in Sikkim during the earthquake last year. With such strategic importance both during war and peace, the piece of land has needlessly become an issue."
Drill scheduled
To prove its right over the ground, the army was to display its prowess in a disaster management exercise at Annandale today.
Snubbing the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) once again for demanding possession of the ground for developing a multi-purpose stadium, the army yesterday said the country's security can't be ignored for any game.
"The fact that Annandale ground is of strategic significance for the army from the national security perspective can never be ignored in favour of any game and gimmicks," a Western Command statement said.
The army does not allow the 48.4-hectare green patch, just 3 km from Shimla's Ridge, for civilian use.
The army clarified that "the ground is [a] base for launching disaster management and relief operations."
Public rally
The HPCA headed by Anurag Thakur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker and son of chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, took out a public rally in Shimla earlier this month, demanding the transfer of the ground to the local administration.
Dhumal said the state would present a memorandum prepared by a local group, Citizen Forum Annandale, to the federal government claiming the ground to build a multi-purpose stadium.
A statement by the chief minister's office said top government officials had been briefed about the matter. He urged lawmakers from the state to meet the prime minister and the defence minister to ensure that the ground was handed back to the state as its lease had expired 30 years ago.
The army, however, said: "The strategic significance of Annandale as a forward logistic and operational base for operations in the sector adjoining Himachal Pradesh is being overlooked in preference for a cricket stadium."
The army argued: "Shimla and adjoining areas are located in a high seismic zone. The significance of Annandale for disaster management was witnessed in Sikkim during the earthquake last year. With such strategic importance both during war and peace, the piece of land has needlessly become an issue."
Drill scheduled
To prove its right over the ground, the army was to display its prowess in a disaster management exercise at Annandale today.
