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July 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Inexperience
matters little to Haryana Govt Rohtak, July 14 The government, in May 2001, appointed Brig S.C. Anand as Principal of the Dental College, Rohtak, who had crossed the age of 65 years in May 2002. The Dental Council of India does not recognise any person beyond 65 as principal or professor. Hence, during the coming inspection of the college, Brig Anand’s deficiency will have to be covered up. Interestingly, the then commissioner and secretary, Health Department, who was interested in the appointment of Brig Anand not only gave a contractual appointment to him for two years but also inserted a clause in his appointment letter that after May 2002 Brig Anand would work as Chief Executive Officer of the college, knowing well that there was no such sanctioned post in the college. The then secretary, Health, also gave a consolidated salary of Rs 35,000 a month to Brig Anand with no deduction of pension, which is mandatory. Thus, it is obligatory on the part of the government to pay him two years’ salary, whether he is recognised as principal by the Dental Council of India or not. Similarly, the management of the Medical college at Agroha (Hisar), to whom the Haryana Government pays 99 per cent grant, appointed Brig Aggarwal as IAS Director. However, he was not recognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI) during inspection as he had no requisite teaching experience. As a result, he had to be replaced and the inspection was conducted again. It is unfortunate that the Director was brought only for a week and he had to go back after the inspection. The government has now appointed Maj-Gen (retd) Virender Singh Punia, a resident of Meerut, as Director of PGIMS, the only government-owned Medical College in Haryana, on contractual basis at a consolidated salary of Rs 35,000 a month. Again, like Brig Anand! It remains to be seen whether Maj-Gen (retd) Punia will be acceptable to the MCI which is visiting the institute for inspection on July 15 and 16. Tongues are wagging on the campus as to how the MCI would differentiate between him and Brig Aggarwal of Medical College, Agroha. Meanwhile, ad hoc appointments are being made in the PGIMS here to make up for the deficiencies in view of the inspection of the MCI team. Interviews for the posts of lecturers, Sr residents and demonstrators, though for a limited period, were held on Saturday also. The office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) was reportedly opened on the holiday for conducting the medical examination of these persons so that they could join duty on July 15 before the arrival of the MCI inspection team. It may be noted that the MCI had objected to the last-minute short-term appointments last year. Such appointments are generally made by the private institutes, not by the government-owned colleges. |
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An urban riddle called Ring Railway in the New Delhi, July 14 Started during the Asian Games in 1982 and a clone of the suburban railway network in Mumbai, the Ring Railway is a pale shadow both in the range of services offered and in their frequency. Over time, it has allowed its space, particularly its land, to be usurped by the all-pervasive automobile. To aggravate matters, the Ring Railway has failed to live up to its potential of transporting 2,500 passengers every day both in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. The congestion on all roads leading to the largest wholesale market for consumer goods in Sadar Bazar and for edibles in Khari Baoli has become unbearable. Both these huge markets are bifurcated by the railway lines of the Northern Railway. A small segment of these lines form a near-circle on the periphery of which lie 24 stations within a distance of 35 km. Twelve electric motor units (EMU) are deployed, seven operating clockwise and five in anti-clockwise direction covering Hazrat Nizamuddin, Pragati Maidan, Tilak Bridge, Shivaji Bridge (Minto), New Delhi Junction, Sadar Bazar, Delhi Main Junction, Kishangunj, Vivekanandpuri, Dayabasti, Shakurbasti, Patel Nagar, Kirti Nagar, Naraina Vihar, Inderpuri, Brar Square, Sardar Patel Marg, Chanakyapuri, Safdarjung, Sarojini Nagar, Lodi Colony, Sewa Nagar, and Lajpat Nagar. And yet an area served by the Ring Railway, where the cost of transportation over a distance of 35 km is a mere Rs 9, sees sparsely-occupied coaches (less than 45 per cent capacity). A survey showed a pattern. In the ultra-crowded section centred around the Sadar Bazar station, ticket sales in June were 1240; at Lajpat Nagar 1100; Naraina Vihar 1077. It started tapering off at Patel Nagar and at Sarojini Nagar, where it was just 65 for the month. When the conundrum was put to the Chairman of the Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders’ Associations, Mr Manohar Lal Kumar, he immediately put his finger on the malaise: The traffic bottlenecks had become intolerable. He suo motu suggested that if the Northern Railway improves the Ring Railway, the trading community, particularly in and around Sadar Bazar, would be happy to utilise its facilities by boarding it at the point closest to their home in the morning and returning in the evening after shuting shop. He said that the timing should be three trains in the morning at 8, 9 and 10 a.m. to enable traders to open their shops and begin loading and unloading of goods. In the evening three trains at 6, 7 and 8 a.m. to enable them to return home. They could be picked up and dropped at the station nearest to their homes in their private vehicles. All this can happen only through direct contact between the Railway authorities and the Federation. Once this happens, a pool of assured clientele will emerge. Parent-teacher associations and principals in all the schools in government colonies can be made aware of the new timings and arrangements. Railway employees themselves suggest that with assured services in the morning and evening as suggested by the Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders, one train each in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction between the time the shift changes in local schools and lunch-hour will create the right ambience for a microcosmic restructuring of traffic in the hinterland supposed to be served by the Ring Railway. |
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Restructuring
is not privatisation: CM New Delhi, July 14 “Restructuring,” Ms Dikshit says, “should not be necessarily construed as privatisation. The objective is to plug the leakages in the case of DJB and automating the processes and services of DTC.” The restructuring though would be limited to “overhauling the system.” Private participation will be peripheral, she hastens to add in defence of her statement yesterday that her government had no plans to restructure and that the reports to the contrary were only rumours. The chief minister says the Department of Transport is in the process of formulating a policy to make DTC responsive and efficient. Rationalisation of routes and computerisation of inventory, etc would be taken up first. The process of restructuring of DTC will factor in the post-Metro scenario that will unfold by the year-end. Similar measures are being contemplated for DJB. “The restructuring of DJB will seek to plug the leakages that hover around 40 per cent and streamline the distribution,” she says, adding that the impact of Sonia Vihar water treatment plant on the distribution network in east Delhi and elsewhere will be studied while formulating a suitable policy. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has in the meantime already begun making claims of a moral victory over the Congress. A senior BJP leader said the chief minister’s reforms agenda has few buyers within the Congress and that the privatisation of Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) had further isolated Ms Dikshit from her party’s rank and file. The issue is nevertheless set to come up for heated debate when the monsoon session of Delhi Legislative Assembly begins Monday. The BJP leaders are readying themselves to take on the Treasury Benches on that and other issues. The chief minister though claims the government would not be caught napping and that floor management would not be found wanting. |
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Train rams into Sumo laden with illicit liquor Rewari, July 14 A Tata Sumo (HR 36B 3145), laden with large quantities of illicit liquor of the Mastana brand, got stuck in the track when it tried to cross it. Apparently, when the occupants failed to dislodge the Tata Sumo, they removed the cartons of liquor to facilitate the extraction. However, as luck would have it, the Mandhor Express, which was coming from Jodhpur and going to Delhi via Rewari, abruptly arrived on the spot at about 4.30 am. It rammed into the Tata Sumo, sliced into two and dragged the debris for a distance along with it. It was a close shave for thousands of passengers. The train, which was already 25 minutes behind time, was further delayed by about half an hour. The occupants of the Tata Sumo had fled before the arrival of the train. It could not be ascertained whether the Tata Sumo was heading for Rewari or some other place. Later, personnel of the Government Railway Police reached the spot, collected the cartons of liquor as well as the wreckage of the Tata Sumo and brought them to the police station. This incident as well as the recent seizures of illicit liquor in rural and urban areas of the district by the police indicate the extent to which the illicit trade has spread its tentacles throughout the district. On the one hand, proximity to Rajasthan territory, stated to be the traders’ hunting-ground, has given the illicit trade a big boost, on the other hand, the love of lucre combined with soft penal laws, have emboldened the traders beyond measure. The Government Railway Police have registered a case under Section 61/1/14 of the Excise Act as well as under Sections 147 (crossing the rail track in an unauthorised way) and 154 (imperilling passenger safety) of the Railway Act against the unknown criminals. An investigation is underway. |
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Shiv temple razed as BJP men look on Rohtak, July 14 A delegation of Samaj Sudhar Samiti had met the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok Yadav, on Saturday and demanded the removal of the temple. Some rooms, illegally constructed near the temple, had allegedly become dens of vice and a hub of anti-social elements. The temple management had allegedly got these unauthorised rooms built, which were being used for carrying out nefarious activities. However, some residents have alleged that the BJP activists had initiated the move to have the temple demolished as they had shops in the vicinity of the temple and the widening of the temple chowk would be commercially beneficial for them. |
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FARIDABAD Faridabad, July 14 The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, hinted during his recent visit here that he did not favour changing the Mayor, Mrs Anita Goswami. He had reportedly directed the party activists and authorities to get the issue solved without removing her. According to ruling party sources, the Chief Minister expressed his unhappiness over the dissidence and even hinted that if it was not ended, the government could dissolve the body. This certainly has not only provided a relief to the Mayor’s camp, but it has left the dissidents’ camp disheartened. The dissidents, who have gone underground for the past few days, had expected to meet the Chief Minister (CM) and bring the issue and its related problems to his notice. From the day one, the dissident corporators had been seeking time to meet the CM. A spokesman of this camp even said that after presenting their views, they were ready to abide by the CM’s decision. But so far, the CM had not taken any interest, said a dissident corporator, adding that they were now forced to adopt other means to get their demand accepted. Meanwhile, it is claimed that the authorities have started using `pressure tactics’ against the `rebel’ MCF members. A prominent member who is stated to be leading the revolt said the kin of two members of the MCF had been transferred out from Faridabad to distant places with a view to building pressure on them. He said two family members of one Corporator and the husband of a woman member had been transferred abruptly. At least a minister and two MLAs from the area have been directed to help end the dissident movement. However, it is reported that a majority of these members are in no mood to relent. They have been unavailable to the people for the past about six days as they have gone underground, after 16 members of the 25-member house submitted an application to the Commissioner, Gurgaon Division, seeking a date for bringing a no-confidence motion against the present Mayor. The effective strength of the MCF now is 22, as three members have been suspended. These 22 include the Mayor, Mrs Anita Goswami. The dissidents had also met the Divisional Commissioner on June 28 to tell him about their decision. But as the CM has taken a stand against their movement, it seems that the situation could become messy as the dissident members are in no mood to give up. They have also threatened to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this connection They have claimed that it was their constitutional right to change or remove the Mayor. Meanwhile, these developments have started having its fallout. While residents here are worried about the delay in the implementation of various development programmes in their wards, a section of the people here have started demanding the dissolution of the body. Mr Rajkumar Gaur, general secretary of the Janata Dal (United), Haryana, asked the government to dissolve or suspend the body. He said the MCF had become a hotbed of dirty politics and no member seemed to be serious about the work for which he or she was elected. He said changing the Mayor would not solve the issue as a large number of members were concerned about their own future and had been allegedly involved in the policy of blackmailing. He said the government should probe the `malfunctioning’ and book the corrupt members. |
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Noida revenue receipts up by Rs 134 cr Noida, July 14 This year, the expenditure has been pegged at Rs 148 crore higher than last year. The authority has also taken a decision to reduce its interest rate by 1 per cent. According to Financial Controller Usha Kant Gupta of Noida, the expenditure for the year has been pegged at Rs 877 crore. The Industrial Department will receive Rs 118 crore by allotting four lakh square metres of land for which it will get Rs 280 crore. The Institutional Department will receive Rs 83 crore by allotting 2,10,000 square metres of land while the Commercial Department will receive Rs 75 crore by allotting 50,000 square metres. The Housing Department has been given a target of Rs 80 crore, which will be achieved by selling 9,000 housing units. The rest of the income will be added from the receipts of previously allotted properties, interest accrued etc. Developmental works of the previous year were reviewed before the submission of the budget, Mr Gupta disclosed. The review revealed that as against a target of Rs 742 crore income, the actual receipt by various departments had added up to Rs 778 crore last year. As much as Rs 13.30 crore had been sanctioned for village development but only Rs 10.11 crore had actually been spent, he said. This year, Rs 15.20 crore is budgeted for rural development. Last year, Rs 220 crore was spent for development works. About Rs 10 crore was spent on the Ganga water scheme also. A provision of Rs 875 crore has been kept this year for expenditure on various schemes and projects as against Rs 727 crore in the previous year while only Rs 764 crore had actually been incurred till the year-end on these projects. This year, Rs 250 crore has been earmarked for payment of compensation to farmers and Rs 440 crore for development and construction works. While Rs 33.70 crore has been kept for the Ganga Water Project, Rs 7.28 crore has been sanctioned for horticulture and forestry; Rs 37 crore for power, Rs 7.43 crore for health and Rs 7.46 crore for maintenance works. The authority will now charge interest at the rates of 14 per cent and 17 per cent in view of the interest rates of UP Finance Corporation and PICKUP. There is, however, no charge in commercial department’s interest rate. During the current year, development works will be undertaken in Sectors 50, 63, 72, 80, 81, 83, 110 and 122. A 60-metre wide road between Sectors 50 and 51 will be constructed. The other works included the covering of Drain No 1 and No 2, construction of a bridge on irrigation channel in Sector 75 and a Bhangel bye-pass from Sectors 42-48 to Sectors 80-81, Mr Gupta said. |
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MOVING FINGER The choice is between darkness under the public sector and darkness under the private sector. The common factor, of course, is darkness accompanied by heat and sweat. This is the fate of the people living in Delhi and nearby towns in the National Capital Region. This summer offered ample proof, if a proof was needed. The readers do not need elaboration of the point. They have suffered heat and darkness under the Delhi Vidyut Board, an important public sector undertaking, in the first phase of this summer. They are going through hell in the second phase of the summer when the main work of the board has been taken over by two important private sector companies. The earlier owners have got their money, the new owners have got the right to get their regular income from electricity consumers, the loss incurred by lower power tariff against higher cost to be met still by the government that is the public sector. The consumers have retained the misery of power cuts, violent voltage fluctuations, frequent tripping and all allied problems. Among these problems are water shortage caused by power cuts, polluted environment because of those thousands of diesel generators and idle hours for the work force in the city. The two new companies have a point in saying that they do not have a magic wand to set things right quickly. The earlier board did not have a magic wand either. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was right when she said that there was no sabotage and she is right in saying later that there could be sabotage. Nobody seems to know what is happening and why it is happening. Privatisation is the fashion these days and saying anything against it would be going against the current. But many people are asking a valid question as to the objective of the privatisation. If it is just to replace a system by another, it is alright. If it is meant to improve facilities for the people living here, the people have a right to be told where and how their living conditions are better. It is important because more and more civic services are likely to be privatised. The new Haryana urban policy envisages privatisation of road maintenance, street lighting, sewerage and many other civic services. Perhaps, it will be done in Delhi too. Incidentally, part of Delhi’s transport system – buses, taxis, autorickshaws — is in private hands. Is it better than the public sector part of the transport system? As far as I know, the private sector transporters are also a source of harassment to the citizens. If the people are to reap benefits of any improvement in the system, the mindset and behaviour of those managing any system will have to be changed. As long as they remain exploitative and rude, even indecent, in their attitude and behaviour, replacement of a system by another will not help. Electric
fencing The people in the National Capital Region are getting more security-conscious with the increase in the threat perception. Security agencies have come to be a part of life and so have steel gates and barbed wire fencing not only in case of large campuses or bungalows but even for residential colonies. All kinds of electric and electronic gadgets are in use — one of the most obnoxious is the shrill safety alarm fitted to motor vehicles. Another thing which seems to have come to stay and will be seen more in use in the days to come is electric fencing. Mild current is passed through rows of metal strings and they get activated the moment somebody — human or animal — touches it. One gets an instant shock and is thrown back. Even if it does not kill him, it is enough to scare him. The current is from a battery which gets charged from normal electricity supply. So, it works even when there is a power cut. More people are going in for it for farmhouses or large campus of an institution or corporate unit.
Ticks’
season Normally, it should have been the monsoon season in and around Delhi in the last fortnight but it was not. Till the time of writing this piece, the rains have been eluding the place and the weather pundits are tired of predicting the onset of the season on specific dates or “next 48 hours” or so. For those who have pets, it has turned out to be a ticks’ season. Dogs with long hair or an almost smooth coat have ticks bothering them in hordes. The patient and hardworking owners are busy for long hours removing them all the time. Those who cannot do so go in for remedies like an injection or oil or ointment against ticks. It is important because some dogs can get tick fever and it can be dangerous. When the number of ticks gets rather large on a dog’s body, they start falling around and creep on the floor or climb up the walls. Beds and other furniture are not out of bounds for them. I was told once that they did not like human blood and normally do not bother them. But they seem to have become bolder this season and there are reports from doctors — not vets — of tick-bites. Even if ticks do not like human blood for sucking, what stops them from biting and leaving a red scar on the skin of a child or even an adult? There seems to be no answer to dog lovers’ problem but there is good news for dogs. Herbal oils to repel ticks have come in the market and the dog owner does not have to worry that the dog would lick the chemical repellent and harm himself.
CNG Jams The people of Delhi are used to traffic jams so much that they have stopped fixing appointments without margin for delay. There are many reasons, genuine and not so genuine, for such traffic jams. One more reason has been added to the scores of reasons and that is CNG which, ironically, was introduced in the National Capital to improve traffic and pollution conditions. Mile-long queues of buses and autorickshaws are lined along city roads and highways, grabbing much of the width of the road leaving a narrow leftover for the normal traffic to pass. As it is, the long rows of parked buses and autorickshaws give the feel of a traffic jam. The normal traffic adds to the problem. Those who are in a hurry like to squeeze their way into this jungle of vehicles parked or moving at a snail’s pace and make it worse. Last fortnight saw a really bad situation when school buses remained parked at these spots while schoolchildren were either stranded or had to arrange alternative transport. These jams can be seen almost at all the CNG outlets. If you want to watch the sight, I can recommend the gas outlets near Mahipalpur, that is, along Delhi-Gurgaon Highway and near DTC Depot on Ring Road. It is not that the other points are less impressive, only these are convenient and are located in different parts of the city, easy to reach, that is, if the road is not blocked by the “green Delhi” buses and autos.
Buyers’
market We come across so many instances of ours being a sellers’ market. We had even discussed one such instance in these columns some weeks ago. Here is one showing what a sellers’ market can be like. You have guessed it right. It could not be from our country. A friend whose wife had been ailing for a long time had to take her to the USA for treatment. Here in Delhi, he had been using an oxygenator manufactured by an American company. This gadget, meant to supply oxygen generated from environment, was adjusted to the power supply conditions in India. It would have been of not much use if he had taken it to the USA for use by her as it would not work there. He wrote to this company if they could readjust it to be used there. He informed them that she was to go to the USA for treatment. Incidentally, the treatment was for an almost incurable disease which was getting worse all the time. This was the last chance he was taking in an institute which was trying a new course of treatment and had agreed to take this patient. The company, which had supplied the oxygenator, realised the gravity of the situation and asked my friend not to worry. It offered to give him an oxygenator at the place of her treatment, which would be meant for use in the USA. This would be free and with compliments of the company. He was told to leave his gadget back home and use it on return. Unfortunately, the wife did not survive to make the trip to the USA. Naturally, the friend is sad that he could not use the last opportunity to save her. But he has a grateful memory of the offer of the American company which had offered this costly equipment free to him.
Parents’
ordeal I thought that I had written enough about the suffering of students seeking admission in colleges and universities of Delhi. But I have been told by some concerned parents that it was not all by way of their ordeal to see their wards studying in good institutions here. After they are lucky to get admission to an institution, there is the problem of hostel accommodation. Many students from outside Delhi get admission to a college but do not get a seat in its hostel. They have to make their private arrangements. If they have close relations here, they may or may not get an opportunity to stay with them. Those who can afford to pay look for paying guest accommodation which may cost the parents anywhere from Rs 5,000 to Rs10,000 per month. Or some of them can join to get a room on rent and run around for their food. These kinds of facilities are available near the campus but the parents keep worrying for their wards because whatever little discipline is there in hostels does not exist outside. And the temptations for a young person in Delhi, well, the least said about it the better. Parents should rightly be worried about them. |
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NAD activists protest against New Delhi, July 14 Demanding the resignation of the Congress government of the NCT of Delhi, the demonstrators, including women, carried empty pitchers and raised slogan against the government. A large number of pitchers were smashed to express their anger over the non-availability of water. Addressing the demonstrators, Mr Pamma said that the government, which could not provide even the basic necessities, had no business to stay in power. He said that all the promises made by the Congress government at the time of Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections had remained unfulfilled. If immediate corrective measures were not taken, people would be forced to take to the streets and take law into their own hands, he warned. The main opposition party, the BJP, has also threatened action if the power and water situation did not improve in the next few days. The matter is also likely to come up for a hot debate in the Delhi Assembly’s monsoon session due to begin tomorrow. |
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Bank records go up
in flames New Delhi, July 14 Ten fire tenders were immediately pressed into service to extinguish the blaze. Police suspect that a short circuit could have been the cause of the fire in the bank. A large number of people were present outside the bank as many were worried about the safety of the bank records. Another incident of fire was reported at 1.50 pm from a lipstick making factory in Kirti Nagar in West Delhi. Eight fire tenders were immediately pressed into service. No casualty was reported as a result of the fire. The police rushed to the spot and are investigating the cause of the fire. |
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Tempo rams scooter, two killed New Delhi, July 14 Of the two persons killed, Pappu died on the spot while Damoder was declared brought dead by the doctors at the Trauma Centre. Rajender Singh and Ramnath, who were injured, were discharged after being administered first-aid. All were residents of Chaman Vihar, Loni border. The tempo cleaner, Inder (28), fractured both his legs and was admitted to the hospital. The driver of the tempo, Vasudev, a resident of Wazirabad has been arrested and the Civil Lines police have registered a case of causing death and injury due to rash and negligent driving. Murder solved:
During investigation, the police came to know that the deceased had an illicit relationship with the wife of Ramesh Kumar Saini (50), resident of Shahbad. As Ramesh wanted to take revenge, he and his son Sushil (22) took him to a deserted area and killed him. Both the father and the son have been arrested and the weapon used in the offence recovered by the police. |
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NCR BRIEFS Faridabad, July 14 In another incident, a car was stolen from Surajkund area last night. At least six vehicles, including four motorcycles, were stolen in the town in the past one week.
Commits suicide A married woman of a nearby village committed suicide by consuming pesticide. The victim, identified as Seema, wife of Pappu of Manjhavali village, died at a private hospital in Sector 16 here today. She was admitted on Saturday. She reportedly consumed poison due to a domestic quarrel. In another incident, an unidentified person was killed after he was run over by a train near old Faridabad Railway Station last night. Three persons, including a couple, were injured when their two-wheeler was hit by a jeep at Bata crossing here this morning in a separate case. |
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SHOWCASE Bay Island cottons, has launched ‘Relaxed Formals’ for ambitious young executives who pride themselves on staying cool under pressure. According to Ashish Pandya, vice-president (Sales and Marketing), Arvind Brands Limited, “The Bay Island cottons brand is positioned as one with the ability to chill out-or cool down anything that it comes in contact with. A Bay Island shirt is so cool, it ends up having a cooling down effect on everything around it, thus making it an ideal summer shirt. Individual
looks Daks Simpson, Britain’s recognized contemporary classic menswear brand, recently unveiled in India its apparel collection for the year 2002. The new range consists of a sophisticated array of checks as well as regatta influenced ticking stripes. The key colours of the new collection are navy, white, tan, beige, soft pastels and cream with flashes of bright colour. The collection can be mixed together to create unique combinations and strong individual looks. The range is available at the Daks’s exclusive showroom at The Taj, Mumbai, and also at Sehgal Brothers, South Extension, New Delhi. The new line will also be available at the Hyatt Regency in Delhi from July onwards.
Spring
collection Niranjan Mills, a division of Piramal Spinning and Weaving Mills has launched spring collection of lycra-based fabrics like cotton lycra, cotton polyester lycra, viscose lycra, viscose/nylon lycra, cotton linen, viscose linen etc. The company is now developing 60/60 finer count in lycra fabrics. The mill is a pioneer in lycra and manufactures the widest range of lycra fabrics in India.
One touch Kodak has introduced the Kodak EasyShare DX4900 Zoom digital camera, the first print-optimized 4.0 Megapixel (MP) digital camera, designed to be one-touch simple. Following the success of EasyShare DX3900, the new camera has been introduced as part of the Kodak EasyShare system – the recognized industry standard for ease-of use, that allows consumers to transfer, print and e-mail pictures with one-touch simplicity.
Summer frost Raymond group’s ‘Parx, a leading casual wear brand has unveiled its fresh and soothing range for the summers called ‘Summer Frost’ – a fine collection of white shirts. Using a specially crafted, unique fabric – Dobby, the special weave structure gives the shirt a breath-ability and provides the wearer with superior comfort. The range has a myraid collection of soft white blends to choose from, with variations in styling and patterns. Its delicate surface pattern accentuates the cool white look and the colour white is also characteristic of absorbing and diffusing body heat.
Club wear The stripes are back and to bring trendy shirts to the young Indian male, Zodiac has launched a line of ‘Multi-Stripes.’ The new collection of the Multi-Stripes shirts are designed and styled in keeping with the latest in club wear across UK and Europe and enable contemporary Indian males to step out in style. Salman Noorani, managing director, Zodiac clothing company, said, “stripes are back in style with Zod and we have always endeavoured to bring the latest international trends in men’s wear to the young and upwardly urban male.”
K has launched its summer collection to beat the heat. The collection provides a whole new range of summer clothes to pick from. K’s ‘Cool Summer Collection’ for men offers bermudas, T-shirts, cotton shirts and wrinkle free cotton trousers. Making its way into the wardrobes are trendy combinations in pink, cream, peach, sea green and sober yellow. Its collection for women unveils a range of spaghettis, swimming costumes, shorts, cotton pants and casual tops in net. Capri’s and skirts are in vogue. Blood red and maroonish red are hot
favourites amongst women this summer.
Family fortune Writing has now been made lucky with Luxor’s new family fortune pack. The pack offers a well-packaged product that has something for the whole family from the four leading brands Parker, Pilot, Papermate and Luxor. The pack gives an exciting opportunity to win a host of prizes like colour televisions, computers, cell phones, music systems, wristwatches, telephone instruments and walkmans with its scratch and win offer. The Family Fortune Pack gives a complete range of writing instruments that suits everybody’s needs.
For all moods Lee Cooper, the original European jeans wear now unveils yet another exciting collection of T-shirts to suit all moods and occasions. Targeted at the young, trendy, hip-hop crowd as well as the upwardly mobile man, the new collection boasts of clean cuts and relaxed style. Imparting a smart and active look to the wearer, the ‘T-shirt collection,’ includes Polo’s classic, crew neck with ribs, open V-necks, raglan fits, round necks, stripes and prints in a wide array of colours to choose from.
Antiquity spices Hazel has diversified into spices and processed food market, after having established its brand “Hazel”, in the institutional market with dry fruits. Antiquity spices have been considered the queen of gourmet, flavour and taste of processed foods. There’s no better way to explore the flavour of Indian spices. India is known as the home of spices and is among the major exporters of this commodity. The taste is an essential ingredient in many dishes worldwide.
Rain
repellant Pennzoil has introduced Rain-X, an easy-to-use rain repellant, to help make driving in rains, comfortable and safe. Rain-X dramatically improves driving visibility by repelling rainwater from the windshield on contact. Rain-X seals the microscopic pores of the exterior glass windshield with a non-stick, transparent coating to make raindrops bead up and get blown away by the wind flow, thus improving the drivers visibility, safety and driving comfort. It ensures better visibility in both city and highway driving conditions. In city driving conditions, improved visibility helps spot other vehicles, clogged potholes and sudden pedestrian crossings better.
Jumbo
collection Allen Solly’s launch of an innovative and novel range of garments called ‘The Jumbo Collection,’ is meant for the gracious few whose extra large physique hampers their selection of clothes. The Allen Solly Jumbo collection, available in ‘Big and Tall’ sizes are a boon for large sized people who till date had a limited variety of clothing available to them. This new retail effort is the outcome of a survey conducted by Allen Solly in core regions, which brings to focus the latent demand for ready-made clothing in larger sizes.
Digital TV Beltek has launched its new range of 20 inch colour TV “Thunder – 20” and Digital VCD with MP3 amplifier and host of other user friendly and hi-tech features. This new range of colour TV and VCD from Beltek is all set to create ripples in the entertainment industry as both the products present an unique blend of advance technology, affordable price and powerful performance. Thunder –20, comes with hi-tech features like 230 programme memory, on screen display, 28 key remote control, menu driven control, dual speaker system, hyper band cable ready tuner and zoom facility, while the digital VCD besides the MP3 player and amplifier also offers games playing facility for kids.
Iran oil Sunint Auto Ltd., has launched Atlantic brand of lubricating oils of Iran, at a function in Crown Plaza. Mr M.T. Zulfghari, the chairman of Atlantic Oils saw great possibilities in launching it in India. |
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