Himachal government not against organising of IPL matches in Dharamsala: G S Bali

Dharamsala, February 17, 2015: Himachal government is not at all against the organising of IPL matches in Dharamsala. Stating this the Himachal Pradesh food minister G S Bali said here on Tuesday, “The organisers (Kings XI Punjab)  infect have never showed its desire to organise such matches in Dharamsala this year, and when HP Government is unaware of it how can BJP blame the state government for denying the IPL .”

Bali said that the chief of HPCA Anurag Thakur is giving political colour to entire episode. He said that if BCCI or HPCA or Kings XI still wish to stage few IPL matches in Dharamsala, HP government will help the organisers in all shears as they have done in past too.

As per the schedule of the IPL2015 matches, Dharamsala does not figure as Kings XI centre. It will be for the second consecutive year that Dharamsala, will not going to host any IPL match. Last year, the state government did not give permission due to ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

HPCA spokesperson Sanjay Sharma is of the view that due to the ongoing tussle between the HPCA and the state government, cricket franchisees do not want to take the risk of hosting matches here. “However HPCA president Anurag Thakur is still trying for IPL matches for Dharamsala,” said Sanjay.

He further said that the Himachal Government’s attitude of charging security dues and entertainment tax from the teams hosting matches here is also keeping the owners of the teams away from Dharamsala.

Another HPCA official on the condition of anonymity said that the Kings XI has kept two matches of 13 May,15 vs RCB and of 16 May, 15 vs CSK for Dharamsala which are at the moment being shown to be staged at Mohali. “The shifting of these matches shall be announced later,” he said  

The non-organising of the IPL in Dharamsala has made all the cricket lovers gloomy.

The Dharamsala stadium had been the home ground of the Punjab Kings XI, which organised matches here from 2010 to 2013.