Ludhiana, Feb. 24 -- A day after the Ludhiana district administration began with its eight-day Punjab Sakhi Shakti Mela in Khanna, the defence estate officer (Jalandhar circle) on Monday directed the deputy commissioner and the Khanna sub-divisional magistrate to stop the event while terming it "unauthorised use" of the defence land. The officer has also instructed the local military authority in Ludhiana to halt the event immediately and submit an action-taken report, bringing an embarassment to the administration.

In a communication to the civil and military authorities, the defence estate officer mentioned that permission for temporary use of the land was still pending with higher authorities and that any activity on the site without ...