Annandale ground to remain with Army: Virbhadra

SHIMLA(TNN): Laying to rest the status of Shimla’s Annandale ground, chief minister Virbhadra Singh has clarified that it will stay with the Army. The chief minister was speaking at the Civil Military Liaison Conference held at the Western Command headquarters in Chandimandir on Wednesday, saying the ground was the only open place which was suitable for conducting disaster relief and management exercises.

During previous BJP regime, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association led by BCCI president Anurag Thakur had attempted to reclaim the ground from Army to construct a stadium. At the conference, Virbhadra said that many futile attempts were made to take over the ground in the past, but he wanted to make it a point that though governments keep changing, the possession should always be with the Army for proper management and ensuring that no tall concrete structures come up in the vicinity of the ground.