Sultanpur, January 7
The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary in Gurgaon district, which attracts lots of migratory birds from Siberia, Europe and Afghanistan during winters, wears a rather deserted look these days.

A visit to the bird sanctuary in the first week of January revealed that the number of winged visitors was much lower than expected at this point of time.

“Though the inflow of these winter guests was near normal in the beginning of the season, many of them left around the middle of December,” said Suresh Kumar, an employee at the sanctuary.

As per old time bird-watchers and curious residents of nearby areas, the migratory birds have either returned to their respective countries early or settled in other nearby locations like agricultural fields and secluded chunks of marshy land.

The number of migratory birds at the Bhindawas wetland in Jhajjar district was also less than normal this time, they maintained.

The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, which has been declared a national park by the state government, is situated on the Gurgaon-Farrukhnagar Road.

Officials at the sanctuary claim that nearly 250 species of birds can be seen here. Of these, the resident birds include common hoopoe, paddyfield pipit, purple sunbird, little cormorant, eurasian thick-knee, gray francolin, black francolin, Indian roller, white-throated kingfisher, spot-billed duck, painted stork, white ibis, black headed ibis, little egret, great egret, cattle egret, India crested lark, red vented bulbul, rose ringed parakeet, red-wattled lapwing, shikra, Eurasian collared dove, red-collared dove, laughing dove, spotted owlet, rock pigeon, magpie robin, greater coucal, weaver bird, bank mynah, common mynah and green bee eater.

According to information, more than 100 bird species arrive at Sultanpur every year in search of feeding grounds and to pass winter. These include Siberian cranes, greater flamingo, ruff, black winged stilt, common teal, common greenshank, northern pintail, yellow wagtail, white wagtail, northern shoveler, rosy pelican, gadwall, wood sandpiper, spotted sandpiper, Eurasian pigeon, black tailed godwit, spotted redshank, starling, blue throat and long-billed pipit.

The sanctuary has birds in summer too, with around 11 species of migratory birds such as Asian koel, black-crowned night heron, Eurasian golden oriole, comb duck, blue-cheeked bee-eater, blue-tailed bee-eater and cuckoos coming here. The visitors can have a glance of neelgai (blue-bull) and black buck as well.

Chandigarh, January 7
When one enters the millennium city of Gurgaon, besides multi-storeyed buildings, one is greeted by huge signboards of property dealers and builders, offering best deals in the realty sector.

Still only a few property dealers have come forward to obtain a valid licence for property dealing, despite enactment of the Haryana Regulation of Property Dealers and Consultancy Act to control the activities of property dealers by the state government.

The district administration has now decided to be tough with those property dealers who are continuing to operate without a licence. It has already ordered a survey of the property dealers operating in the city.

Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria has asked his SDMs to get video and photographs of shops and offices of realtors. After the completion of the survey, those found carrying on property business without a valid licence would be issued notices under the Act. The penal provisions might be invoked later on by the administration to enforce the Act.

According to Kataria, who is also designated as collector under the Act, an individual found carrying on property consultancy business without having a valid licence will be liable to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 and in case of a society, company or organisation the fine is Rs 1 lakh. Under the Act, all property dealers, builders and property developers are required to obtain a licence by getting themselves registered with the collector.

An individual has to pay a licence fee of Rs 25,000, while an organisation, company or society will have to pay Rs 50,000. The licence will be valid for five years and thereafter the licencee will have to get it renewed. For individuals, the renewal fee is Rs 5,000 while for an organisation, company or society it is Rs 10,000. If the licence is not renewed in time then, in case of an individual, a late fee of Rs 500 per month will be charged while an organisation or society will be charged a late fee of Rs 1,000 per month.

The application for obtaining property dealer licence shall be accompanied by proof of residence, four photographs, thumb impression, solvency certificate, character certificate, two guarantors for verification accompanied by the treasury challan of the payment of the prescribed fees. The licence of the licencee shall stand automatically cancelled on bankruptcy or insolvency or lunacy or unsoundness of mind. The property dealer shall display at all times the signage board bearing registered licence number in the office.

If the licence is lost, destroyed or becomes illegible, the property dealer shall forthwith apply to the licensing authority for grant of a duplicate licence with court fee stamp of Rs 10 and treasury challan of Rs 50. The licence holder shall get only one per cent commission on the agreed consideration value paid by the seller and purchaser of the property, that is 0-5 per cent from each of the seller and the buyer.

In case of lease or rent of immovable property, the commission shall be paid by the lesser and lessee at the rate of one month rent of the property to the dealer.

Following the tough posture of the district administration, a few property dealers have started applying for obtaining licence.

Rohtak, January 7
Drug addiction seems to have been on the rise in the city and its nearby rural areas. This includes blatant use of cough syrups by addicts, mostly youths.

The sale of cough syrups and other restricted drugs has been going on openly without any prescription. The situation is alarming as is evident from a large number of bottles of cough syrups lying at most of the public places here.

A number of public places, including parks, have become safe haven for drug addicts, who consume liquor or cough syrup etc and dump the empty containers there.

Mansarovar Park and its adjoining space located in the heart of the city is one such spot where empty bottles of cough syrups and related material can be found in abundance.

It is reported that youths, mostly in groups, often throng such places and take drugs without any fear. Recently, about 24 empty bottles of a banned cough syrup were seen dumped at Shri Ram Rangshala ground, an open air theatre, located near Mansarovar Park. This is the third time that such material was found lying at the same place in the past about two or three months.

As the premises has no regular security guard, it is reported that anti-social elements often visit the place to take drugs there, said a member of the Taxi Operator Union functioning from a site adjoining Rangshala.

He said some local residents who visit the place and nearby park had also been found consuming contraband drugs, including smack and charas, besides cough syrups. The drug addicts have also been found involved in theft cases in the area, he claimed.

The use of cough syrups and liquor has also been on the rise in and around educational institutions, claimed a senior professor of Maharshi Dayanand University. “A large number of empty bottles were removed from various spots, including tea stalls and canteen, in the past one year,” he claimed.

Hisar, January 7
Lt-Gen D P Vats, who hails from Thurana village of this district, has been appointed Director and Commandant of the elite Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, which has been consistently rated amongst the top two medical institutions of the country.

After being commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in 1975, he served as the medical officer of the Jat Regiment. He is a MS (Ophthalmology) medallist of Pune University. He has also been trained at the AIIMS, New Delhi, LVPE, Hyderabad, and the IIM, Ahmedabad. He is the first alumnus of the PGIMS, Rohtak, to be promoted as General Officer in the Army Medical Corps.

Gen Vats is a renowned ophthalmologist who has headed the ophthalmic services of the armed forces as a consultant and dean at the Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi Cantt, and a senior adviser at the Command Hospital (WC) Chandimandir, Panchkula,.

As a General Officer, he has the unique distinction of holding all highest command and staff appointments in Pune, which is the cradle of learning of the Armed Forces Medical Services.

The President of India, Chief of Army Staff and Army Commander honoured him six times by conferring various awards, including the Vishisth Seva and sena medals.

He says his key interest areas are to ensure quality management of professional and academic training to produce competent, confident and empathic doctors and paramedics.

He believes in force multiplication by harmoniously integrating comprehensive medical care and qualitative training by imparting sound knowledge and skills.

Hisar, January 7
The annual flower show held at Haryana Agricultural University's botanical gardens proved to be a big draw.

Entries had been invited for 10 categories. Mange Ram and Jitender were declared winners in the chrysanthemum category. Sukh Ram and R. S. Banga were placed at the second spot in this category while Shilpy and Vineet bagged the third position.

In the foliage category, Taruna, Renu and Parveen were adjudged first, second and third, respectively.

Abhilasha Bansal, Rakesh Solanki and Manjula won the first, second and third prizes. Respectively. for their entries in the seasonal flower category.

In the cacti and succulents category, Sunita Solanki and Rakesh Solanki won the first and second prizes, respectively. Rakesh Solanki also bagged the top spot in the bonsai category while Manjula Vasudev was placed second in this category.

Panchkula, January 7
Maintaining a steady progress in the preservation and promotion of the rich Harynavi cultural heritage, with special emphasis on folklore performing arts, Haryana is leading the region by example. As many as 20 amateur vocalists, mainly in Haryanavi folk genre, participated in the week-long state-level advanced folk music workshop. The workshop was organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations, which concluded here at the Government Youth hostel. The workshop was conducted by Bollywood music director JP Kaushik.

“To document, promote and disseminate the traditional Haryanavi folklore arts in its social and cultural perspective is our aim and it is imperative to involve the Haryanavi youth so that our endeavour gets a boost,” DPR, Shiv Raman Gaud, IAS, said.

“Our musical culture, with folk element pervasive in it, is so strong that no alien influence could pollute its purity. We had a two-week successful workshop on Haryanavi folk instrumental music under JP Kaushik and music was recorded at Chandigarh in 2007,” BS Balhara, additional director, said.

The participants, mostly in the age group of 18-30 and already into learning, were briefed about the etymological, theoretical, socio-psychological perspectives of a culture contextual to the analytical study, technique, style and evolution of present forms of folk music and dance which had the living touch with people since the ages, said Kaushik.

“Despite a paucity of time, I have initiated them into writing a song by translating their thoughts in a suitable paradigm of words. As all of them are already into music, some at postgraduate level, they followed the principles and techniques of musical patterns in the making of a song, sound elements including mike handling sense. A song by Satpal Deswal was composed by Amrita (Jind), Pooja, Satpal, Saleem Ahmed (Rohtak), Rani (Sonepat) Pooja (Pinjore) and others,” Kaushik added.

Earlier, BS Balhara introduced workshop director JP Kaushik as the foremost disciple of Ustad Ali Akber Khan who settled at Bombay and won President’s Gold Medal for best music director in his very first film “Shehar aur Sapna” and another award from Bengal Journalists association. Then followed films “Hamara ghar”, “Aasman Mahal”, “Basti aur Bazaar”, “Dhamaka,” Sanhji and Saat Hindustani, launching Amitabh Bachchan as hero. Out of over 20 regional films “Chandrawal” (Haryanavi) proved a super golden jubilee hit, besides Rajasthani films Dharambhai and Laddo Rani.

“However, the Harynavi folk music remained my first love and its twang, melodic grace were perceptible in many of my film songs. But despite its earthy appeal, vitality and grandeur it has not won recognition at the national or International level.

It has now become imperative to preserve its purity and enrich it from compatible resources of technological advancement. The ongoing folk music workshop was conceived by KK Khandelwal, PSCM; Shiv Raman Gaud, DPR, Haryana; and BS Balhara, project director; is a positive step in this direction, Kaushik added.

Ellenabad, January 7
Fierce electoral battle between the ruling Congress and the main opposition party INLD is being witnessed for byelection to the Ellenabad assembly seat that goes to polls on January 20.

The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of INLD supremo Om Parkash Chautala, who won this seat along with Uchana Kalan (Jind) in the assembly elections held in October.

Fifteen candidates are in the fray for the bypoll, although the real contest is between Bharat Singh Beniwal (Congress) and Abhay Singh Chautala (INLD).

Kusum Lata Chaudhary (Samast Bhartiya Party) and Raj Kumar (Haryana Swatantar Party) are the two candidates of registered (unrecognised) parties contesting the January 20 bypoll.

Eleven independents: Krishan Kumar, Deepak Goyal, Jaiver, Bharat Singh Banwala, Bharat Singh Mochiwali, Mange Ram Hudda, Rameshwar, Lillu Ram Balmiki, Vinod Aulakh, Vinod Kumar, and Salender Kumar are also in the fray.

Even in the assembly elections held in October, it ended up an almost direct contest between Om Parkash Chautala of the INLD and Bharat Singh Beniwal of the Congress despite presence of the BJP, HJC, BSP and independents in the fray.

Chautala polled over 64,000 votes and won the election by a margin of over 16,000 votes.

With the Congress already having cemented its government for the next five years with the help of independents and defection by five HJC MLAs despite having been restricted to 40 seats by the INLD in the assembly elections, it will try to win the seat to achieve majority on its own in the state assembly.

However, the INLD cannot be underestimated, particularly on its home turf.

Besides being in the home district of Chautalas, Ellenabad has the distinction of returning MLAs belonging to the INLD or its earlier avatars headed by Devi Lal or Om Parkash Chautala on six out of seven occasions since 1972.

Both the Congress as well as the INLD are leaving no stones unturned to win the byelection and it will be interesting to see which party of the two emerges victorious.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Union Minister and AICC in charge for Haryana Prithviraj Chauhan, HPCC chief Phool Chand Mulana, IYC chief Ashok Tanwar, Kuldeep Sharma, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Sampat Singh, Prahlad Singh Gillankhera, Gopal Kanda, Ranjit Singh, KV Singh and Jagdish Nehra have been campaigning for Beniwal.

INLD’s campaign is led by former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala and his two sons Ajay Singh and Abhay Singh, while almost all MLAs, former MLAs and former ministers of the party, besides its office-bearers have been camping in Ellenabad to ensure victory for party’s candidate.

Jhajjar, January 7
Union power secretary HS Brahma and heavy industries secretary SN Dash recently visited the 1500 MW Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project being set up in Jharli and its surrounding villages here and reviewed the progress.

During the visit, both officials not only interacted with NTPC officers but also exhorted them to ensure the synchronisation of the first 500 MW unit of the project before July to cater to the power requirements of the Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi.

While giving details of the project, Madhusudan Prasad, financial commissioner and principal secretary, power, informed that Haryana would get 50 per cent power produced by the first unit i.e. 250 MW and the second plant of 500 MW was expected to be synchronised in December.

“The construction work of the mega project is progressing as per schedule. The total estimated project cost is Rs 7,892 crore and since commencement of its construction, an expenditure of about Rs 3,277 crore has so far been incurred on the project,” said Prasad.

Taking up the issue of stage-II expansion project of 1000 MW capacity units at the same site with Brahma and NTPC, he said that at least 30 cusecs of water would be required additionally for the expansion project and the terms of sharing of the additional power needed to be discussed.

“The Haryana government is giving its precious water resource meant for irrigation and drinking water. It has also requested for higher allocation of power. Brahma agreed with this view and assured that a meeting would be convened next month to decide the matter,” informed Parsad.

He said the project was the largest power generating project being set up in Haryana in joint venture between NTPC, HPGCL and Indraprastha Power Generation Corporation Ltd. (IPGCL). The project was identified for power requirement of Commonwealth Games, 2010, and power generated from this project would be shared equally by Delhi and Haryana, he added.

Parsad said for the implementation of this project, a joint venture company i.e. Aravali Power Company Pvt. Ltd. (APCPL) was formed during December, 2006. The project was being set up on 2,298 acres of land covering the villages of Khanpur Khurd, Jharli, Mohanbari and Goriya, he maintained.

“For the evacuation of power from this project, two 400 KV double circuit transmission lines are being constructed, one from Jhajjar to Mundka, for the evacuation of power to Delhi is being executed by APCPL through Power Grid Corporation Of India Ltd. and another one from Jhajjar to Daulatabad, for the evacuation of power to Haryana is being executed by the HVPNL,” he informed.

Rewari, January 7
Capt. Ajay Singh Yadav, Finance, Irrigation, Forest and Environment Minister, plans several development works to provide a facelift to the Rewari region.

While development works costing Rs. 750 crore were accomplished in the region during his previous five-year tenure, he has now initiated new development works in the region.

During his three-day sojourn here recently, Capt. Yadav visited over 20 villages of the Rewari segment. Addressing meetings in the above villages, he asserted the state had plenty of funds to carry out optimum development works in Rewari district.

Thanking the citizens of Rewari for making him victorious at the hustings six times in a row, he promised equitable development in rural as well as urban areas, saying that the state government was primarily committed to boosting the standard of living of all people of the state.

With the establishment of a Government Polytechnic College, a Government Women's College, a Sainik School and the MDU's Postgraduate Regional Centre here, Rewari had made strides in the domain of education. The Finance Minister said the government had now allocated Rs. 150 crore for the construction, renovation and widening of roads in the district.

While the Rewari-Garhi Bolni and Rewai-Bharawsa roads would be made six-laned, the Rewari-Narnaul, Rewari-Berli, Rewari- Mahendragarh and Rewari- Jhajjar stretches would be made four-laned.

Responding to a specific demand raised by residents of various villages, the Finance Minister said while the power plant at Khedar in Hisar district and the thermal power plant at Jharli in Jhajjar district were approaching accomplishment, the prospective availability of 600 MW each from these two plants would soon be instrumental in easing power availability to a great extent.

While the minister directed the officials concerned for speedy redressal of the villagers' problems, he also inaugurated a number of development works to the tune of Rs. 1.90 crore in Jaunawas, Titarpur, Jeetpura, Kalaka, Padayyawas, Shahbazpur, Beriawas, Nikhri, Dungarwas, Rajpura Alamgir, Kharkhara, Dhakia and Rasagan villages of the Rewari segment.