Hoshiarpur, May 8
The SAD-BJP combine has failed to keep its promises made during the state assembly elections and has now no achievements to convince rural people during the panchayat poll.

This was stated by Punjab Youth Congress chief Vijay Inder Singla at a press conference here today. He was accompanied by National Youth Congress general secretary Sheikh Mastan.

Singla said the state government had done nothing for the welfare of people after coming to power. Besides, it had discontinued all the beneficial schemes, especially for the Scheduled Castes and old age, introduced by the Congress.

He said the unscheduled power cuts had hit hard the normal life and small-scale industrialists were the main sufferers. In addition, the law and order situation was deteriorating day-by-day, he bemoaned.

He alleged that Congress candidates were being harassed by the various government agencies for withdrawing their nominations for the panchayat poll.

He said more than 35 per cent youths were contesting the zila parishad and block samiti elections and the Punjab Youth Congress was campaigning for them.

Answering a question, he said the state government was responsible for checking increasing prices by taking a strict action against hoarders and black marketeers. However, the UPA government had already taken a lot of steps to control inflation, he said, adding that the price hike would be controlled within next two months.

He said the state Youth Congress was the first to introduce a website (www.punjabyouthcongress.com) where public could have information about the party administration and activities.

Earlier, they addressed a rally of district Youth Congress workers at the DCC office.

Amritsar, May 8
The residents of the city are sore over the construction of a wall by the army at the local Dasehra ground area, near the Durgiana Temple, dividing it into two parts. This would hinder the celebrations of Dasehra festival as organisers would be left with virtually no space to burn three effigies.

Various Hindu organisations have decided to protest against the army authorities as they took this step without taking them into confidence. A visit to the site reveals that the defence authorities have constructed the wall just at the site where the three effigies of Ravana, Meghnath and Kumbhkaran used to be installed by the Dasehra Committee.

It is pertinent to mention here that the said land, measuring 9.32 acres, is a part of the Gobindgarh Fort and was on lease with Shri Lakshmi Narayan Ayurvedic College run by the Durgiana Management Committee (DMC) for the purpose of play ground/park on payment of nominal license fee of Rs 100 per annum with the condition that the land would not be used for commercial purposes. The lease expired on July 16, 2004.

Surinder Kumar Billa, president of All India Hindu Shiv Sena, while talking to the Tribune said though the land was being used by the Dasehra Committee under DMC for the last couple of decades but with the construction of the wall the people of the city would not be able to celebrate the festival as there was no such ground in the vicinity of the walled city.

Billa said they had written various letters to union ministers, including Arjun Singh, Pranab Mukherji and defence minister A. K. Antony for extending the lease after it had expired on July 16, 2004 but they have not received any response from them. He said recently they had also approached R.L. Bhatia, Governor of Kerala to take up the case in this regard with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

He said the Durgiana Committee had also spent lakhs of rupees on the construction of a boundary wall at the site after seeking approval from the Defence Estates Officer, Jalandhar Circle, Jalandhar Cantonment.

He said the authorities had also asked the DMC to demolish the unauthorised structures being constructed at the site by some persons.

Nawanshahr, May 8
Punjab boys and girls won the 25th sub-junior national handball championship and 10th mini girls national handball championship, which concluded at Kirpal Sagar Academy, near Rahon, in the district on Wednesday. The event was organised by the Punjab Handball Association.

Punjab boys defeated SAI (West) 30-19 in the final match to lift the trophy. Kuldip Kumar of Punjab scored eight goals for his team, while Rajesh Kumar of SAI (West) scored 10 goals. Delhi boys defeated Chhattisgarh 25-22 to get the third place in the tournament.

Punjab girls defeated Haryana 18-12 to lift the trophy. While Kerala defeated Manipur 18-14 to get the third place. — OC

Nawanshahr, May 8
Acting on a tip-off regarding sale of spurious ghee in the district, the police here has arrested Dinesh Kumar and Narinder Kumar, both of Ludhiana, and seized a three-wheeler carrying 1.60 quintals of spurious ghee at a police naka near Beerowal village on Thursday.

Giving details, Sadar SHO Sulakhan Singh told mediapersons that the police had got information that the spurious ghee was being smuggled from Ludhiana and it was being sold in Rahon, Balachaur and Nawanshahr.

Seeing the police naka, a three-wheeler on the Rahon-Jadla road tried to flee but the police nabbed it. Driver Jaswant Rai and trader Dinesh Kumar were in the three-wheeler along with 277 tins of ghee.

During interrogation, they told the police that they had been bringing the ghee from Saharanpur at the rate of Rs 100 per kg and selling it here at Rs 150 to Rs 175.

The police registered a case against the accused and presented them before the local court which sent them to police remand for two days, SHO Sulakhan Singh said.