Bhattal promises district status to Lehra

Lehra (Sangrur), Jan 28 (PTI) Former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today promised to grant the status of a district to her home constituency Lehra if she wins the seat for the fifth consecutive time and Congress returns to power after the January 30 polls. Addressing an election rally in the presence of Union Minister Ambika Soni on the last day of poll campaigning in the state, Bhattal demanded votes keeping in view the development works initiated by her in the constituency. Terming the SAD-led government as anti-farmers, she held it responsible for the distress sale of ten crops during the last five years of its rule she claimed that in the previous Congress government procurement and the payments took place without delay. Addressing the rally, Soni said UPA government released a grant of Rs 30,000 crore for technical education to youth but accused the SAD government of misutilising the amount for "vested interests". She accused SAD of shedding crocodile tears now for votes and promising to give laptops to youth free of cost. Terming the promise as a hoax and a bundle of lies she said how would the youth operate the laptops without the technical education for which huge grant was released by the Centre.