Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today blamed the Congress led UPA Government for allowing drug trafficking across the International and state borders adjoining Punjab, despite our repeated requests to seal them effectively for checking the prevalent practice of drug abuse. Badal was addressing the media persons after inaugurating the SARAS Fair, 2012 here at Sheesh Mahal. Describing the media reports regarding National General Secretary of Congress Rahul Gandhi’s vague statement ‘about 7 out of 10 youth in Punjab were given to drugs’, as totally illogical, erroneous, politically motivated and above all a deliberate conspiracy to tarnish the image of our youth and an onslaught on their dignity. Badal categorically said that he had impressed upon the Centre time and again especially the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister to completely insulate these borders to prevent drug trafficking but in vain, for the reasons best known to them. The Chief Minister accused Rahul Gandhi for being misinformed on this count, adding he said Gandhi should have rather crosscheck the factual position from Centre before issuing such provocative and half-baked statements.The Chief Minister further said Gandhi should at least know that Centre was directly responsible to safeguard the International borders and it was obligatory on its part to take effective measures to check the menace of drug trafficking through intensified patrolling by the BSF and other Central para-military forces under its control. He also asked the Government of India (GoI) to take up the matter with the Rajasthan Government to strictly ban the open sale of poppy husk which was readily available their like wheat and sugar here at shops. He asked the Centre to immediately impose a complete ban on the unethical sale of poppy husk in Rajasthan which had adversely affected Punjab, as it was smuggled into our state due to Centre’s soft policy on this Inter-state border. Asked to comment on the recent trend of joining of leaders from the National Parties like Congress to the Regional Party Shiromani Akali Dal, Badal replied that most of the leaders and workers were disenchanted with the dismal performance of Congress and they were confident that only Regional Parties could resolve their day-to-day issues and ensure justice to them on priority. He envisioned that Regional Parties hold a bright future as they were far more sensitized to the local issues of the people as compared to National Parties. He cited media reports in section of Press that recently Congress Ministers of UPA Government got sanctioned majority of Roads in their states out of Road projects worth Rs. 1500 cr. Likewise, it had also been the tendency of the Union Railway Ministers to get maximum projects sanctioned in their native states. Such unprincipled practices led to wide spread regional disparities which could only be eliminated by the regional parties, asserted Badal. He asked the UPA to be fair in removing the regional disparities by adopting a policy for uniform allocation of funds and development projects amongst the states. Badal lamented that India was heading towards the starved and poorest nations according to the recent news report and cautioned the Centre to take corrective measures promptly to reverse this trend.Replying to another query regarding the SAD eyeing on Patiala Parliamentary seat, Badal said party was not only concentrating with focused attention on its overall development but surely to capture the seat with thumping majority. To another question on the statements of former Lt. Gen. KS Brar, the Chief Minister urged the media to exercise restraint on such issues for the sake of maintaining congenial atmosphere of peace, communal harmony and amity in the state. He said how could Punjab could be held responsible for an attack on the life of Brar in London, adding either it was the responsibility of UK Government or the Indian Government to provide adequate security to him. pulging the details of SARAS Fair, 2012, the Chief Minister said that it was a healthy platform for the craftsman and artisans from 20 states to exhibit their artifacts and handicrafts. He motivated the youth to develop skills for any profession or trade which was the need of the hour and mentioned that the Punjab Government had already tied up with world renowned German Company GIZ to impart skill training to 5 lac youth. The company would soon set up five Skill Development Centres in the state to impart training to the youth according to the basic requirements of local industry. Earlier the Chief Minister was felicitated by former MP Mrs Amarjeet Kaur at her residence during his visit.Prominent among others who were present on the occasion included Rural Development & Panchayats Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, General Secretary SAD Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, former Ministers Mr Harmail Singh Tohra, MrHamir Singh Ghaga, Mr Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, Mr Raj Khurana and Mr Surjeet Singh Kohli, Mayor Mr Jaspal Singh Pradhan, former Chairman Youth Development Board Mr Gurpreet Singh Raju Khanna and Former Chairman Punjab SSS Board Mr Tejinder Pal Singh Sandhu besides SGPC members, senior leaders and party workers of SAD-BJP alliance