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Three held for stealing vehicles for joyride
Chandigarh, November 6 Sources said the accused were also indulging in petty thefts. They used to steal vehicles for the sake of joyrides and fun only. They used to abandon the vehicles and were not interested in selling them. Being ‘novice’, they used to move in the stolen vehicles in the city for ‘sheer pleasure’. The SHO of the Sector 3 police station, Mr Balihar Singh, said a Mohali resident lodged a complaint regarding the theft of her car on Friday. Mr Sandeep, a home guard jawan posted at a naka near Kishangarh village, noticed the stolen car (PB-39-A-5963) coming from the village side. He flashed the message and later in the evening, the police succeeded in trapping the car at the Sector 8 and 9 dividing road. The car driver was later identified as 18-year-old Dinesh Kumar, alias Dina, a resident of Sector 24. The SHO added the police arrested Dinesh and impounded the car. During interrogation, the accused named his two accomplices, both juveniles, and residents of Sector 7. He told the police that they all were students of a Sector 8-based government school. Quoting the accused, the SHO said the trio had stolen a car from near a residential area in Sector 19 rehri market on November 1. They later abandoned it in Sector 26. They stole another car from the Panjab University campus on October 27. That was also abandoned after some time. The car was later recovered by the police. They also picked up a scooter in October this year, which was later recovered. The police sources said the police had also seized a scooter, a stereo, a battery and a mobile phone.
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Lineman devises quake warning device
Chandigarh, November 6
With this belief, an assistant lineman with the UT Electricity Department, Jagdish Parsad, has devised an earthquake warning system that can raise alert on noticing slightest of seismic activity. He has no formal background in seismology. The device made of metal, transfers the vibration through a battery-operated relay switch to a siren or a bulb on noticing seismic activity. The signal can also be used to increase the level of vibration, especially for the deaf and dumb. With meager funds to prepare a working model, the lineman has been trying to meet officials of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to bring the concept to general use. Unlike gadgets used to record seismic activity, which cost in lakhs, the system devised by Jagdish can cost a few thousand rupees only. A common man usually senses earthquake on seeing an oscillating fan or shaking furniture and runs for life. Valuable time is lost when the earthquake strikes while the person is asleep. There have been instances when earthquakes striking during the night have resulted in high casualties. Explaining the concept, the lineman said a mass of cylindrical metal is hung through a spring and is kept a few microns away from another cylindrical outer shell. On slightest of seismic activity, the two cylindrical metal bodies come in contact, thereby passing the signal to a relay switch. Since the device has to be made of a durable metal, it costs between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 and can be installed at any place. Its size can be increased or decreased as per the requirement.
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PG-landlord spat: girls rubbish police claims
Chandigarh, November 6 One of the girls Kiran, told Chandigarh Tribune today that the police was making false claims regarding the recovery. She claimed that in the name of recovery the police had so far recovered a sack containing a shoe, a shirt, some torn photographs and other small things. She added, “We have asked our parents to send us money to buy things of our daily use. I have to buy everything I need afresh. The same is the case with the other girls.” Kiran said besides articles of daily use, they had lost their certificates and other important documents. Visibly dejected, Kiran, who is appearing for the CAT examination shortly, said she had lost her admit card for the examination and her career was at stake. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr K.I.P. Singh, said the police was making efforts to trace the belongings of the girls. He said Anil Sharma had told the police that he had handed over some of the things to his acquaintance, a Sector 40 resident, Shivdeep Singh. The DSP said the police had conducted raids on Shivdeep’s residence today, but he was not available at home. He claimed that two of the girls told the police that they had lost
nothing. The girls had gone home to celebrate Divali with their families and were shocked on their return to the city when they learnt that their rented premises had been sealed and their valuables were missing. Acting on their complaint, the police restored the possession of two rented rooms to the girls and arrested the owner of the top floor, Anil Sharma, who had thrown the valuables of the girl on the charges of trespass, theft and obstructing the way of tenants.
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PM to lay stone of biotechnology park on November 9
Chandigarh, November 6 Ms Romila Dubey, Principal Secretary, Science and Technology, said Dera Bassi-Sirhind-Patiala had recently been declared the biotechnology corridor. Punjab, with its state-of-the-art infrastructure, strong export base, excellent institutional network and leading agricultural and horticultural resources was offering several incentives to the industry through its user-friendly Biotechnology Policy. The state currently offers minimum floor level of sales tax, exemption from stamp duty, registration fee, electricity duty, land and building taxes besides uninterrupted power supply, no restriction on movement of capital equipment and relaxation in floor spacing index, said Ms Dubey. Additional advantages included connectivity to adjoining states, she added. The park would be developed in a phased manner at a cost of Rs 125 crore and spread over 100 acres. It was being developed as a public-private venture to provide opportunities for research and development validation, pilot testing and setting up of biotech enterprises.
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Residents flay Admn’s apathy
Chandigarh, November 6 Mr B.S. Rawat, a member of the Deep Complex Resident Welfare Association, said despite repeated representations, the Administration did not give any statement. The villagers had recently met the Prime Minister on the issue. The chairman of the Panchayat Samiti, Mr Didar Singh, said it was wrong on part of the Administration to destabilise the needy people. He said the Administration should not do this after sitting on the issue for over seven years. The Administration has been given many representations from time to time on the issue. The constructions have not come overnight, he said, adding that there has to be alternative arrangement for the evacuees.
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Pak Rangers group chiefs to visit Chandigarh
Chandigarh, November 6 The 18-member Pakistani delegation would be headed by Major-Gen Hussain Mehdi, Director-General, Rangers (Punjab). Major-Gen Zaved Zia, Director-General, Rangers (Sind) would also be accompanying the delegation. They are the seniormost Ranger officers and had visited Chandigarh last year for talks. The BSF delegation would be headed by the Additional Director-General (West), Mr N.P.S. Aulakh. The conference was earlier scheduled to be held at Jodhpur and the Pakistani delegation was to cross over from the Munabao — Khokhrapar land link in southern Rajasthan, which has remained closed to cross-border traffic since the 1965 Indo-Pak war. The re-opening of the route to allow the Rangers to cross over was being seen as a step forward in establishing the much talked about regular road link between the two countries in Rajasthan. If this proposal materialises, this would be the second land link between the two countries after Wagah. Administrative reasons are being cited for the change in the venue. The BSF is still to decide whether to fly in or drive down the Pakistani delegation from Amritsar to Chandigarh. The BSF — Ranger biennial conference commenced in 2004 after a gap of three years. The BSF delegation had travelled to Pakistan in April last year for the first conference to be held since the two countries came on the brink of war following the terrorist attack on Parliament in December, 2001. A major point of difference between the BSF and the Rangers is the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, which Pakistan refuses to accept and instead terms it as a working boundary. Smuggling of humans and contraband, inadvertent crossings by civilians on both sides, matters pertaining to joint patrolling, and release and repatriation of Indian and Pakistani citizens lodged in each other’s jails are other issues to be discussed. Also on the agenda are issues that could not be resolved by local commanders during their regular flag meetings. Issues which were left unresolved in the previous conference would also be discussed.
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Chinks evident from Cong hoardings
Mohali, November 6 Pictures of local MLA Bir Devinder Singh are conspicuous by their absence on the Congress hoardings that have come up at various places in the township. Issued by the Mohali Congress Committee chief Kuljit Singh Bedi to greet residents on Divali and Gurpurab, the hoardings have a picture of Lakhvinder Kaur Garcha flanked by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Shamsher Singh Dullo and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. The hoardings send a clear message: Ms Garcha is going to be a force to reckon with for the Mohali Assembly ticket. “And why not? She has been living in Mohali for many years and has a huge support base in the area. Also she will be the strongest woman candidate from the district,” points out Mr Bedi. However, there is much more to be read between the lines. “Groupism” within the leaders of the ruling party has resulted in the emergence of two power centres — one represented by Bir Devinder Singh and the other camp of Lakhvinder Kaur Garcha. Sources in both camps virtually spit venom against each other. It has been over two years since the Congress came to power in Punjab but for the voters who command influence among different sections in the Kharar constituency are still a confused lot. And a bifurcation of the constituency is likely to add to the confusion. But the MLA is hardly amused. “All this is hypothetical at this stage. Mohali has not become a separate Assembly constituency as yet. Moreover, I am the sitting MLA and if and when the bifurcation takes place, I would be given the choice of ticket. Anyone who is working for the Congress has the right to aspire to become an MLA. And if my picture is not on the Congress hoardings, it’s fine with me. I don’t believe in such hoardings and advertisements, as I don’t feel the need to make every passerby see my larger-than-life picture. I have my work to show instead,” said Bir Devinder Singh. And just to make the fight in this part of the state more spicy, there are others eyeing the Mohali ticket too. Balbir Singh Sidhu, who was denied the Kharar ticket by the Congress during the last elections, is already making himself visible in public functions in the township. “I have been living here for so many years and contested as an Independent candidate in the last elections. I lost the Kharar seat with a margin of just a few 100 votes. I got over 70 per cent of the rural votes,” he claims.
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Encroachments continue even after festivities
Panchkula, November 6 Encroachments by shopowners in markets in Sectors 6, 7, 8, 11 and 15, are not just restricted to the corridors constructed for the benefit of shoppers, but also extended to the parking spaces in front of these shops. From daily-need goods like buckets to racks of chips and other ready-to-eat foods, setting up of stalls of eats by sweets shops to racks of shoes by shoe shop owners — the wares are being displayed right till the parking area. In Sector 11, it is the tea-stall owners and the tent houses whose owners have encroached upon the corridors. The tent houses display durries, carpets and poles on the roads. The already narrow parking space is further reduced
because of these encroachments. Mr Vijay Kapoor, a resident of Sector 7, says that because of these encroachments it is difficult for the shoppers to walk through the markets. “Earlier, these encroachments were only restricted to the corridors outside the booths, but now the shopkeepers have also encroached on the parking place and on the footpath outside the booths,” he complained. The shopkeepers, on their part, say that since the size of the booths is small, and they have to stock more goods, they are left with no choice but to use the corridors. “The customers ask for variety, and we have to display the excess stocks outside,” justified a crockery shop owner in Sector 7, whose racks had extended not just in the corridor but up to two-feet on the narrow road. Senior officials in the Estate Office, when contacted, said that they had not launched an anti-encroachment drive in wake of the festival season. “We did not want to
unnecessarily raise hackles with the shopkeepers, who were preparing for the Divali festival. But now that the festival season is over, we will be launching a drive next week,” said the official.
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Promote tourism, create jobs: Attray
Chandigarh, November 6 It is suggested that at the time of framing tourism policy, care should be taken to include all points to lure private parties to invest here. The tourism industry in Chandigarh is as important as in any of the neighbouring states. It should not be treated as a stopover but as a complete tourist destination, said the Tourism Director, Mr Vivek
Attray. He released the booklet at a function held at the Lake Club yesterday evening. The roadmap also mentions that Chandigarh is one such place which has the power to attract tourists from across the world round-the-year and this feature should be emphasised. The Chandigarh Administration should develop the right kind of infrastructure to develop the hidden tourism potential of the city. The club has suggested that a site similar to Pragati Maidan in Delhi should be earmarked for holding exhibitions, trade fairs and other tourist promotion activities. The roadmap also recommends creation of a special tourism zone in the city , with a tourist reception centre, information offices of all North Indian states, railways or roadway network. It should also have a handicrafts centre. The zone should also have transit facility at affordable rates where a traveller can stay in a hotel till they make arrangements for further
travel. ITFT’s Director, Dr Gulshan Sharma , said that the Chandigarh Administration and public sector should play a catalyst role, promoter and facilitator and provide inter-governmental linkages and effective coordination for implementation of the new ideas to promote the City Beautiful as a tourist destination. Mr Sharma, who has set up the club, said that it would include members from different spheres, to help formulate strategies to develop the city as a tourist hub.
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6 acres needed to upgrade airport: MLA
Mohali, November 6 Stating that the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd), had planned to upgrade the Chandigarh airport to an international airport, Kharar MLA Bir Devinder Singh today said this would boost the economy of the region. Mr Bir Devinder Singh was giving details of his meeting with the Governor yesterday. “Four acres will be taken from the Air Force Station and 2 from the UT. However, in case the Chandigarh airport cannot be upgraded, land will be provided for an international airport in Punjab around Chandigarh,” said Mr Bir Devinder Singh. “We are also planning a cargo terminal in Punjab. This will be connected to the international airport. This combination will be a boon for the industry and farmers of Punjab. Diversification of crops needs an international outlet and an airport is the first step,” he said. Mr Bir Devinder said he also discussed the need for a joint effort of the UT and the Mohali administration to beautify the areas on the Mohali-Chandigarh border.
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Stray cattle continue to pose threat to residents
Panchkula, November 6 Driving at night in any sector of the township is fraught with risks. With streetlights being non functional on several roads, motorists face the risk of accident. Last night Darshan Singh was seriously injured when his Indica car rammed into a stray cattle near BEL Factory. Since it was dark, he could not see the bull and rammed into it. This is not the first case of accident caused by a stray cattle. This year, at least three persons have died after they had an accident due to stray cattle menace. Though MC authorities said that the contractor was doing a good job of rounding up cattle, the presence of cattle Often stray cattle could be seen grazing in the Yavanika and Vatika gardens, much to the dismay of the morning and evening walkers. Dairy farming being an important avocation, stray cattle are found in abundance, especially in sectors adjacent to villages and slum and labour colonies. The town, including Mansa Devi Complex and 13 villages, is estimated to have about 240 dairy farms and over 2500 cattle heads. Sources in the MC conceded that of the 2500 cattle heads, at least 800 have been abandoned by the owners. MC officials say that they have been offered land in Bhairon Ki Sair village for construction of a cattle pound. Once this is set up, the menace will be reduced to a large extent.
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Colour camouflage at apni mandi
Mohali, November 6 Look carefully and you will see why your greens were greener at the vendor’s stall and the red tomatoes that you picked up turned pale in your kitchen. Someone with probably a PhD in optics has been at work here and no one has caught on to this gentle colour coordination con of apni mandis. The green umbrellas are to protect and shade the green vegetables and, of course, make these look greener. Red umbrellas atop tomatoes and apples and the yellow ones on bananas, it’s all planned and its working very well to ensure good sales throughout the day. “Yes, it’s true but most of the customers here are not able to catch on to this colour coordination,” laughed Amrood, a vegetable vendor at the mandi today. But not all were as honest as him. “No there is no colour coordination. It’s just to protect the vegetables from the sun and, of course, for decoration,” said Bir Mal, another vendor. These vendors got these umbrellas from a supplier, popularly known as Gianiji, for Rs 10 a day. Gianiji could not be contacted for comments, but his family was more than forthcoming with the information about the business. “Yes we try to match the umbrella colour with items on sale. The stuff sells better this way. For the fruit sellers, we have special two-coloured umbrellas,” said his young boy. Interestingly, the colour coordination doesn’t end at dusk. Batteries for Rs 20 a day are also supplied to light bulbs with coloured cellophane wrapped around these. These bulbs make the mandi look like the threshold of an airport runway, but it’s all about camouflaging the rotten vegetables and fruits. Some smart housewives have, however, seen through this evening charade. “It is impossible to spot rotten apples or a tomatoes when a red bulb is shining brightly next to the heap. Similarly, the green vegetables look so fresh even in the evening. You buy a dozen bananas in the yellow light and when you reach home, you find so many of these either rotten or unripe. Now, I pick up the stuff I have to buy and take it out of the range of the light and get myself assured about their quality,” said Dr Kulwant Kaur, a Phase 7 resident.
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Readers Write
The article titled ‘MNS Ranks’ in the columns of Fauji Beat of October 25 successfully beat the living daylights out of the principles of fair, impartial and factual journalism for which The Tribune is a household name. Since I have been an avid reader of the newspaper for the past 50 years, I felt it my duty to give my fellow readers the truth behind what is euphemistically referred to as the Military Nurses Movement.
Military nursing started as a noble vocation when Florence Nightingale imparted succour and nursed the injured on the Crimean battlefield in the 16th century. It was conceived as an auxiliary service to the regular army when the British army recruited 25 English nurses from across the shores in the 19th century and brought them to India. To allow them entry into the hallowed precincts of the regimental messes, they were afforded the officer status. Thus, started the sordid saga of an effete Corps which is now reaching its logical conclusion. The
Military Nursing Service has from its glorious past to its ignominious present, come a million miles. I look back wistfully on the days gone by when NOs treated sick patients with compassion. My heart bleeds to see the brusque mannerisms, rude behaviour and utter non-chalance that are the hallmark of military nursing today. The nurses of the army have themselves brought their present fate unto themselves. The story began in 1999 when a sympathetic DGAFMS (his wife was an ex-NO) quickly agreed to the long-standing demands of the nurses. The then Chief of Army Staff told the nurses — “We have given you what you fought for, but learn to live up to it!” These golden words still ring in my ears since neither this class could carry its new-found status with dignity and elan, nor could they live up to the expectations of their patients. Soon, patients started mistaking these nurses with lady medical officers in wards. Work in the wards suffered, with their refusal to take rounds with MOs incharge of the ward if he/she happened to be junior to them. They started calling’junior’ MOs by their first names and other forms of address commonplace in the streets. Ugly spats with patients and doctors followed if they were addressed as ‘sister’ or nurse. The administration of wards became a nightmare, as they stopped giving injections to patients, leave alone giving enemas, recording urine output or emptying operative drains, which are legitimate nursing duties. These jobs were left to safai-wallahs with the result that hospital infection rates hit the roof. The incidence of bed sores which is an indicator of the quality of nursing care became rampant. Trying to take work out of them was like attempting to milk a bull. Punishing them became a Herculean effort since this class of ‘officers’ did not come under the ambit of the Army Act. The AMC administration dipped its head in the sand to wish away the problem like the proverbial ostrich; and so, the problem started acquiring gargantuan dismensions. Their next bastion was getting houses meant for officers’ in officers’ colonies allotted to them by charming unsuspecting Station Commanders. Soon, they swarmed officers’ colonies. However, since most nursing officers are married to NCOs suddenly found themselves rubbing shoulders with their superior officers, sometimes as next-door neighbours. The Brigadiers amongst them started flying flags on their official and private vehicles. Soon there was a demand to reduce one post of Lieutenant General — the first step to separate from the administrative control of the AMC. Few amongst them with greater aspirations raised the demand for being given the command of some service hospitals! This was the last straw on the proverbial camel’s back! There was naturally stiff resistance to these developments by almost every Army officer that I know of. So, it was decided to change their dress to a beige colour, but maintaining their dignity with utmost care. This was probably the first step to revert the NOs to their actual status. A lot of petitions in courts throughout the country followed and the matter was finally referred from the Delhi High Court to the Supreme Court. The court after much deliberation ruled that the dress code is the preserve of the organisation and advised the NOs to spend more time in imparting care to the sick than to raise such hackles. The following three questions need to be pondered: 1. Why are nursing assistants (male nurses) who have the same qualifications and do the same work not given officer’s rank? Is this not a blatant case of sexual discrimination? 2. Why is the Army Act not applicable to this class of officers? 3. When was the last time an NO gave a sponge bath to a bedridden patient who was not self-dependent? Why do they today need attendants to look after indoor patients akin to civil hospitals? Maj Harbakhsh Singh (retd) 3543, Sector 69, Mohali
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Electronic goods worth Rs 2.6 lakh stolen
Chandigarh, November 6 Mr Paramjit Singh, owner of Surindra Visions, plot number 704 in Phase II, Industrial Area, complained to the police that 27 DVDs, two big-screen TVs besides two small-screen TVs, 11 pieces of Kodak cameras, some walkman sets and other articles valuing approximately Rs 2.6 lakh were stolen. He added that the theft was detected at about 7 pm, when owner of the shop sharing a common wall with his shop noticed the broken locks and informed him. Mr Paramjit Singh said, “Today being the Sunday I did not come to my shop. We had closed the shop at around 10:30 pm last night. Earlier the thefts were committed by gaining entry from the backside. This time thieves broke the locks of the shutter from the front, apparently they have no fear of police.” Mr Inderjit Singh, another shopkeeper added that thefts had become common in their vicinity and there had been more than 30 incidents of thefts in the past four months. Some of them were not reported to the police. It was only in one case that the police succeeded in arresting the accused. Meanwhile, sources in the Sector 39 police station, said a case has been registered. A team of Central Forensic Science Laboratory and a dog squad was pressed into service to pick up clues.
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1 held with country-made pistol
Chandigarh, November 6 In another incident, two persons were picked up by the police on allegations of indulging in gambling. Besides, a car was reportedly stolen from the city and an abduction of a minor girl reported to the police. Sources in the Sector 11 police station said Naresh Kumar, alias Kranti, of Kumhar Colony was taken in custody on the charge of possessing a country-made pistol, illegally. He was arrested from the Sector 14 and 25 dividing road on Saturday. A case under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered. Held for theft Vivek Kumar of Khudda Lahora village reported to the police that he caught a man while stealing his mobile phone from his pocket near the Sector 17 Parade Ground on Saturday. The suspect has been identified as Rakesh Sharma of Panditan Wala Mohalla, Manimajra. The police arrested him after registering a case. Gambling The police arrested Rajinder Kumar of Dadu Majra Colony from near Doaba Sweets in the same locality and Jabar Singh of Maloya Colony from near Madrassi Colony on Saturday. The police recovered Rs 1,715 and Rs 410 from their possession, respectively. Two separate cases under Sections 13-A, 3 and 67 of the Gambling Act have been registered against them in the Sector 39 police station. Car stolen Mr Rohit Tuli of Sector 35-B lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his Maruti car (DDC-7034) was stolen from the parking lot near the library at Panjab University on Friday. A case has been registered in this regard at the Sector 11 police station. Girl abducted A resident of Deep Complex in Hallo Majra village lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Jatinder of Vikas Nagar in Mauli Jagran abducted his minor daughter on October 27. The father of the victim told the police that he had been searching for the girl on his own before reporting the matter to the police. He alleged that the suspect, who used to come to their locality, was also missing since that day. A senior police officer said police teams had been dispatched to Uttar Pradesh to arrest the suspect.
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Mercedes stolen
Panchkula, November 6 Lieut Colonel T.N. Hoon of Sector 6 lodged a complaint with the police that his Mercedes car (CH-03-P-0100) was stolen from outside his house. He told the police that he had parked the car at around 6.45 pm and went in. When he came out after about 45 minutes he found the car missing. The matter was reported to the Sector 6 Police Post and a case of theft has been registered in this regard.
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Truck driver killed in mishap
Panchkula, November 6 Dead:
A kidney patient, who was injured after a fall in General Hospital, two days ago, died at the PGI, Chandigarh, today. Prem Chand was admitted to General Hospital, after his kidneys had failed. On Friday night, as he was coming down towards the hospital reception, he fell down the stairs and received head injuries . He was admitted to PGI, where he died today. Suicide attempt: A 65-year-old man, Dara Singh, tried to commit suicide by consuming sulphos tablets at Chatt village near Zirakpur today. He was rushed to General Hospital here in a serious condition. His family members and other villagers said that Dara Singh was mentally disturbed after his wife’s death, and had made two earlier attempts to end his life. Till the filing of this report, his condition was critical.
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Lecturer’s suicide: no arrests yet
Mohali, November 6 The in-laws of the victim Amardeep Kaur, including her husband Ajit Pal Singh, had reportedly gone nursing following the incident. The father of the deceased, Mr Balbir Singh, had alleged that her daughter was being constantly harassed for dowry by her in-laws ever since she got married two years ago. Amardeep Kaur was working in a college at Chunni.
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Mountview plans tie-ups
Chandigarh, November 6 The hotel will be shortly initiating booking of unoccupied rooms at concessional rates. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting held recently. A senior official said, “The practice of room booking at concessional rates was prevalent even in reputed five-stars hotel of the country and abroad. All airlines also have the facility of concessional
booking.”
The official said the facility of last-minute booking of unoccupied rooms would also be available through the Internet. Early bookings could also be made through the Internet. “The hotel on an average has a daily booking of about 65 per cent accommodation. Generating additional resources, even at concessional rates, was not a bad idea, it was felt,” he said. The hotel is currently working out details regarding tie-up with certain five-star hotel chains of international standards for tapping the outside market. Mr Jasbir Singh Bir, Managing Director of Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation, said the hotel was working out the possibilities regarding tie-ups with prominent hotel chains, including Raddison, Marriot, Plaza, Hyatt, Maurya and Hilton. “The reason of looking for a tie-up is that Mountview is a single unit unlike the big hotel chains, which have a number of hotels in India and abroad. These are inter-connected and tap the market from different places. Incase we can manage a tie-up, we can expect chain offices in different parts of the country to make direct bookings for us,” he added. Mountview has also decided to go in for seeking ISO-9001 certification. The hotel has initiated the process of appointing a consultancy to have an overview of the existing facilities and suggest changes required before applying for the evaluation. “All major hotel chains do not have ISO certification. These do not require it because they have adequate infrastructure. Moreover, each of these has a name promising quality. We are a single unit, so bagging an international certification will help us. We will soon be floating tenders for a consultancy,” a senior official said.
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Chandigarh has makings of global city: Uday Kotak
Chandigarh, November 6 While highlighting the strengths of the city, Mr Kotak compared the city with Dubai and said: “Chandigarh has the great sense of vibrancy. Simultaneously, it is structured, planned neat and clean and has all the tones of a happening place.” As per Mr Kotak, generation of ideas, timely execution thereof, professional approach, entrepreneurial skills, knowing the sources of knowledge and ability to attract and nurture people were the keys to making a global leader. Elaborating on the importance of employing smarter people, he said: “Success and failure of any business is dependent on the quality of its people and company’s annual statement must highlight the worth of people rather than only highlighting quantitative aspects.” According to him, the biggest challenge today was to build “National Institutions with Global Vision” and making difference to 100 million people of India. Besides, he also urged people to think big compared to thinking incremental. Responding to a query, Mr Kotak said: “Banking industry should be solution provider instead of being a passive repository of customer money. There has to be a shift from paradigm of savings to paradigm of investments to improve returns for the customers.” On attracting talent, he opined: “My bank has increased its employee strength from 1,500 to 5,000 within two years and was planning to add 2,000 more annually for coming few year.” Earlier, Krishan Goyal, Chairman, CII Chandigarh Council, in his remarks acknowledged the contribution made by Uday Kotak in enabling the company to grow from a fledgling finance company in 1985 to a full services bank today. He also said youth must imbibe the spirit of true innovator to convert opportunities into actual revenues. Partap Aggarwal, Vice Chairman, CII, Chandigarh Council, while proposing a formal vote of thanks, mentioned that the blazing trail set by Mr Kotak in making his company grow had been a cornerstone for Indian businesses. The session was attended by senior government officials, industry CEOs, members of the media and business schools and was second in the series of “CEO’s Lectures”, an initiative taken by CII.
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11-yr-old wins motor cycle
Chandigarh, November 6 The bonanza was part of the festival promotion from October 21 to 31. This bonanza was on cinema tickets, food court as well as retail outlets. Other winners of the contest are — refrigerator (1): Deepak Jain; washing machine (2): Sanjay Kumar and Puneet Gupta; microwave (2): Seema Jain and Resham; colour TV (3): Preeti Garg, Eshan Sharma and Manisha Sharma; DVD player (2): Dolly and Lalit; electric chimney (1): Ravi; coffee maker (1): Vikram Munjal; food processor (1): Abhinav Kohli, cook top (1): Neeraj; blender (1): Mansi Singh; master chef (1): Sanjay; deep frier (1): Rajeev Ahuja.
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