Jalandhar, February 6
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s firebrand leader and former Jalandhar Mayor, Mr. Suresh Sehgal,, joined the Congress today.

Mr. Sehgal joined the Congress in the wake of efforts made by the Punjab minister, Mr. Avtaar Henry, also a candidate from the Jalandhar (North) Assembly constituency.

“I have joined the Congress due to Mr. Henry. I wanted to do so long back, but could not for my son was seriously ill and I had to look after him,” said an emotionally charged Mr. Sehgal in presence of Mr. Henry. “Mr. Sehgal will be given due place and respect in the Congress,” Mr. Henry said.

Mr. Sehgal said the BJP leadership had promised party ticket to him from Jalandhar. “The party has failed to recognize my selfless service. Instead it gave tickets to businessmen and moneyed people. Where should others go?” questioned Mr. Sehgal.

Jalandhar, February 6
Unlike populist promises of the Shiromani Akali Dal ,the SAD(1920) manifesto is a blueprint for modernizing Punjab from the grassroots. For doing so, the party plans to absorb 90 per cent of students in vocational courses from class eight. It would give employment to trained locals. The SAD proposes tie-ups with Germany and Japan for training.

The party plans to increase the minimum wage to Rs 3500 per month. Besides the party would pressurize the Central government to provide concessions to the state which were given by the Vajpayee government to Himachal Pradesh.

For agriculture, the party would work out district –level plans for better marketing of the farm produce and agro-products. Better methods of irrigation like sprinkler, drip and lining of water courses would be undertaken on priority. The SAD (1920) chief, Mr Bir Devinder Singh, said while releasing the party manifesto here today, that it also proposes to write off loans up to Rs 5 lakh.

Jalandhar, February 6
A male sambhar strayed into Lyallpur Khalsa College this evening .A Wildlife Department team had to struggle for over three hours near the college cycle stand to rescue it.

The poor animal is said to have been hiding close to the GT Road, waiting for it to be dark before moving out. As it was trying to move to a safer place it was spotted by some passersby. The furore which was caused due to noise created by curious onlookers scared the sambhar as it ran for cover.

Finally, a team of six members from the Wildlife Department came down to the spot carrying ropes. Making a barricade with ropes, they guided the sambhar across the road near the campus of Seventh Day Adventist on Cantonment Road so that it could be brought to the military area where it could be trapped. But that did not happen as the heavy animal took giant leaps. It then reached towards the cremation ground in the Garha area. The policemen too reached the spot for helping out the wildlife staff.

But the wild animal dodged the rescue team and ran away somewhere in the military area taking advantage of darkness. Mr Rajinder, supervisor, Wildlife Department, said that they were trying their best to search for it.

Interestingly, this is not for the first time in this winter season that a sambhar has strayed into city areas. Dr G.S. Bedi, President, PFA, said that nearly 15 sambhars had been rescued in the recent past and sent to Takni Sanctuary in Hoshiarpur. He said that the animals often made way to the city via Nusrala choe in the foggy nights losing their way while looking for food. He said that since deforestation was going on at a large scale, the forest areas had reduced and so had the possibility of getting food.

He ruled out any possibility of the animals being smuggled here for he said that sambhars were so scared of human beings that they could go into shocks, stop eating food and even die.