The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

No-parking zones become parking lots
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

The orders passed by the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar (MCJ), it seems, are meant only to complete official formalities. There is hardly any attempt to ensure their strict implementation.

After its earlier orders pertaining to the ban on plastic bags and disposal of concrete waste outside the under-construction buildings proved to be ineffective, a recent order of the corporation on disallowing parking on roadsides along tri-junction right in front of its own office has failed to evoke any response.

Even as the corporation has created “no parking zones” all around the area, long queues of cars, scooters and other vehicles can be seen right next to the signboards at all times of the day. A tow vehicle that often remains parked in the area too has not proved to be a deterrent to those flouting the rules.

The orders of the MCJ state that the vehicles should be parked inside a recently-built underground parking in front of Nehru Garden. The parking lot built on BOT basis came into operation last month, but not many prefer going down there.

Many claim that the charges levied are a bit on the steeper side. “The charges for car parking are Rs 15 that I feel is too expensive if someone has to go to the market for just 15-20 minutes,” said a resident who was there to visit the bank.

While at least 60 to 70 cars and hundreds of two-wheelers were seen parked in the no-parking zone on Tuesday morning, just 15 cars and 20 scooters were seen in the parking lot, a clear indication of its popularity (read unpopularity) among the residents of the area.

The area remains clogged with parked vehicles because of a number of market places in its vicinity, including Dilkhusha Market with wholesale medicine shops, Rainak Bazaar, banks, bakeries and eateries. This also poses a lot of problem to commuters who have to cross over the area as very little space is left for them.

The illegally-parked vehicles also make the passage accident prone.

Mr V.K. Talwar, Technical Consultant, MCJ, when contacted, said that following the orders without a strict enforcement was not a habit with Indians.

He admitted that strict implementation was a must. He added that a meeting had been held with the DSP Traffic so that the implementation of the orders could be done.

Cultural rendezvous
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Choreographer Bikramjit Singh and his vocalist wife Parmjit Kaur have brought laurels to Punjab by performing in the international folklore festival recently held in Spain and France. They were among the nine-member Indian troupe (under the aegis of the Punjab Cultural Promotion Council) that was invited to participate in the international festival.

Bikramjit and his wife returned to Kapurthala after participating in the festival from August 4 to August 28. “It was an unforgettable and wonderful experience to perform in the international festival where artistes from different countries also participated,” they said.

They said it was an enjoyable experience, though they had to face some language problem as most people there did not know much English.

Parmjit Kaur has been working as music lecturer at Hindu Kanya College Kapurthala for over a decade. Bikramjit got inspiration from the then Editor of Punjabi Ajit (now late) Sadhu Singh Hamdard.

When the national Doordarshan channel started, he was the first artiste from Punjab to participate in “Aap Ke Liye” programme that was telecast every Sunday. He has been proving his skill as choreographer, drama artiste and video director in several programmes telecast at Delhi, Jalandhar, Chandigarh and Shimla Doordarshan and private channels, including Zee Punjabi, ETC, MH1 and Balle-Balle, for more than two decades.

He played the lead role in first drama serial telecast on Jalandhar Doordarshan “Chhad De Vail Daaria”. He is B-1 high-grade drama artiste of Jalandhar Doordarshan and has acted in about 200 plays in Hindi and Punjabi.

Apart from this, he has been doing choreography for almost every special programme of Jalandhar Doordarshan. He has directed about 100 music albums that are being telecast on different channels. Besides, he is providing bhangra and giddha coaching to the students of various colleges in Punjab.

In an effort to promote the culture of Punjab, he founded a non-government organisation (NGO) Punjabi Sabhyacharak Pirh that has been holding national-level folklore festival for the last ten years.

Parmjit Kaur is a ‘B’ grade artiste in light vocal music of All India Radio, concerts of All India Radio, Doordarshan Jalandhar and Chandigarh Doordarshan.

She won the best vocalist award twice in Light Indian Music and Indian Classical Music in the All India Music Competition organised by Sangeetayan Delhi. She was also adjudged the best performer in the All India Northern Railway Music Competition. Some devotional songs sung by her were recorded in an audio album.

She has been organising free classes of music for the blind, polio affected and handicapped persons. The then Punjab Education Minister, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, honoured her for her achievement and services in the year 2000.

Young World
Aeromodelling show at Mayor World School
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Mayor World School has decided to start aeromodelling as a new activity for its students of Classes V to IX. As a precursor to the activity, the students were exposed to various aspects of aeromodelling. They were told that it was a sporting event, a constructive and satisfying hobby as well as a career option later on in life.

The students were shown audio-visual and live demonstrations model aircrafts — catapult, control line model, two-line model and radio-controlled model aeroplane.

Ms Gunmeet Bindra, Principal, said that Mr Jatendra Sharma and his team from the Institute of Aero Sports and Model Aviation would be providing the necessary training inputs.

Camp fire

The scouts and guides unit of Sanskriti KMV School organised a camp fire on the campus this week. The cultural evening began with the lighting of a lamp. Students presented a cultural show highlighting various aspects of the unit. Scout Jatinder Yadav spoke on the origin of scouts and guides. Ample light was thrown on Baden Powell’s contribution to start the service. The participants sang prayers and folk songs. Students enthralled the audience by presenting folk dance and energetic bhangra.

Story-telling contest

Sanskriti KMV School organised an inter-house English storytelling competition on the campus. The contest was open for Classes I to III. Young participants told short English stories with confidence and flair. Gagnish Saini of Amber House bagged the first position. Ashi Arora of Pawak House and Ballavi Dhir of Avni House stood second and third, respectively.

The school also organised a “best out of the waste” competition for its students of Classes IV to VI. The students created beautiful items like paper mache, wind chimes, glass paintings and landscape scene using waste material. Chander Jasmine of Class IV, and Anchal Singh of Class V stood first for their best creation in the contest. Ms Usha Pandey, Principal, appreciated the efforts of the students.

Children’s festival

Twelve students of Delhi Public School (DPS) participated in the 7th International Children’s Festival of Performing Arts hosted by Ryan International Schools at New Delhi. As many as 5000 students from 17 countries, including Poland, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Canada and Sri Lanka, participated in the event. Students of DPS presented a dance drama, street play and a one-act play.

Scholarship distribution

The DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology organised a scholarship distribution ceremony for economically weaker students. As many as 900 students from 240 government and private schools got the benefit from the scheme. Each student was given Rs 300, a school bag, sports goods, stationery, sweets and biscuits. The members of the Ram Navmi Utsav Committee collaborated for the event.

Science fair

Students from the CBSE-affiliated schools of Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir participated in a regional-level science exhibition organised by the board at Apeejay School here today. Students exhibited models on environment management, industries and rural development, landmarks in science, information and communication technology in education and mathematics. Fifteen best exhibits that included three best from each of the sub-themes were selected for the finals to be held at the national level.

Quiz workshop

Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya organised a quiz workshop on Saturday. The students of different courses attended the workshop and cleared their queries pertaining to preparation of a quiz contest. A questionnaire was also solved by the students in which they tried to answer questions on different subjects. Ms P.P. Sharma, Principal, said the event helped the students upgrade their knowledge. Ms Ajay Sareen, lecturer in English, was incharge of the workshop.

Literacy Day

Students of State Public School, Sofi Pind, organised a road show in Jamsher and Dina villages on the occasion of the World Literacy Day. Students held banners highlighting the importance of the day. They distributed leaflets to the villagers in which they wrote benefits of being educated and the harm of being uneducated. The rally was flagged off by Dr Narotam Singh, president, and Dr Gagandeep Kaur, vice-president. Mr Dheeraj, Principal, and staff members also took part in the rally.

The World literacy Day was observed in Delhi Public School. A book fair was held on the day to open the inquisitive mind of the little ones to the treasurehouse of knowledge, information and entertainment offered by books.

The Citizens’ Welfare and Protection Council, in association with the Department of Youth Services, organised a painting competition to observe the World Literacy Day. Students painted a scene depicting the hoisting of the national flag. Charanjit, Pooja and Pankaj stood first, second and third, respectively. Prizes were distributed by Prof Anoop Vatts of the Citizens’ Welfare Protection Council, and Capt I.S. Dhami, Assistant Director, Youth Services, spoke about the importance of the day.

Van Mahotsav

Students and staff of Guru Nanak Dev University College, Basti Nau, participated in Van Mahotsav event on Monday.

Nearly 50 saplings were planted on the occasion. Ms Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, Principal, Government Arts and Sports College, was the chief guest. She exhorted the students to adopt the slogan of “Each one, plant one” in a practical way.

Dr Usha Kapoor, Principal, emphasised the importance of trees with literacy and mythological references.

College toppers

Students of Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from HMV College have attained top ranks in examination conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University. Gurwinder Kaur got 426 marks out of 600 and bagged the first position.

Saruchi Gupta got 425 and stood second. Ity Jain and Jyoti Bhandari were bracketed third and got 409 marks. Fifth to ninth ranks were also obtained by the students of the college.

Dance show

A dance show was organised by Vivek Aggarwal Dance Academy at a hotel in Urban Estate on Sunday. Kids of age group four years and above participated in the event and exhibited their talent in different art forms. Most of the performances were based on the latest pop numbers as well as classical music.

Three-year-old Aradhay Ashok Dhir won the first prize in a dance competition organised at the Red Cross Bhavan by Folk and Rock Academy recently. Minal Gupta, Rashika Gupta, Tejaswini, Savera Narang, Inderbeer Sidhu and Anushika Sharma won prizes in the event.

Education workshop

A four-day workshop organised by the Canadian Education Centre concluded at Lovely Professional University recently. The workshop was an endeavour to train its faculty members by professional trainers from overseas. A series of lectures and workshops were organised. The four-day programme was conducted by Ms Anami Jacqueline Naths, a research scholar and trainer of repute from Canada. The workshop was attended by more than 60 participants.

KMV seminar

A seminar on “Rainwater harvesting: need of the hour” was organised at KMV last week. In his keynote address, Mr Sushil Gupta, Regional Director, North West Region, Central Groundwater Board, Government of India, painted a dismal picture of the groundwater level, particularly in the state of Punjab. He presented a detailed, district-wise situation of groundwater with the help of data tables and graphs shown through computer slides.

He proposed an action plan for recharge and conservation of groundwater in which students as young citizens could play a vital role.

Making it up with a bright look
Anil Jerath
Tribune News Service

You wear mascara, eye shadow, and apply your favourite glossy lipstick to appear bright on a gloomy day. But then rain plays the spoilsport by washing away your makeup. With rains already making frequent visits to the city, and monsoon very much on a full swing, maintaining those gorgeous looks is quite an uphill task. Jalandhar Plus tries to find out how to add that ‘glamour pinch’ to your personality this monsoon.

Suggesting that oil foundation be avoided, Radhika, a beautician with Curls Hair and Beauty Studio at Hargobind Nagar in Phagwara, feels that before applying any kind of makeup, the face should be thoroughly washed with cold water.

“You should use a concealer and a compact pack instead of a foundation base during the monsoons. Eyeshadow in afternoons is a strict no-no. Makeup that is one tone darker than your skin should be applied.” So, what kind of makeup will do? Radhika replies, “A compact base with water-resistant eye liners and lippers followed by a light peach or pink blusher will be enough.”

Advising the use of cold compression technique before full makeup, Tanya, another beautician, says, “After washing the face properly with a facewash gel as per your skin texture, applying the sunscreen is a must before you put on the makeup. As for eyes, mascara should not be worn. Instead, a powder-base eyeshadow should be used to enhance the beauty during the monsoons.” She further adds that the type of makeup will also depend upon the time (day or night), apparels and the occasion.

It is the light makeup that Radhika recommends for this season. “Heavy and glossy makeup should not be applied because of the presence of moisture in the air. You can use pencil eyeliners and eyeshadows to get an ideal eye makeup. Peach colour is good for cheekbones as it suits all skin tones. Brown and red colours should be avoided,” she adds.

“As for hair designing, curling, hair highlighting, gloss control or dyeing, we use branded products. We are very careful as far as the skin is concerned and do not use cheap products. Branded products are best suited to every skin texture,” says Mustafa, a hair expert.

Well, it’s time to sparkle this season with the right kind of makeup!

Art in steel

Artd’inox a true lifestyle store making available wide range of home décor bar accessories, dining range, beverage range, bath accessories and office accessories in aesthetic and contemporary stainless steel designs has announced the launch of its seventh exclusive brand store in Sector 17-C in the city beautiful. The store offers timeless designs with international ambiance the store showcases exclusive range of table lights, vases, tea-lights, wire mesh tableware, and accessories along with its latest brand extension ‘a design’. The products offer a variety of surface finishes like glossy, matt, hammered and hairline finishes to give it a photo frame finish to make it a work of art, says Business Head, Sugato Bose.

New colour mobile from Spice

Add some colour and music to your busy life with the new colour screen handset from Spice Mobile Phones. The new handset ‘S-530’ with memory capacity of 1000 contact details and a 65K-color display is designed to not only give exquisite picture clarity but also a speakerphone to help one talk freely on the move. For music lovers the handset has unique feature of pre-loaded sing tones. With the auto-on-off feature you can schedule the phone as per your convenience.

Lychee and Peach Twirl

PepsiCo India brings to its consumers a refreshing new experience with Tropicana’s exciting - Lychee & Peach Twirl juice drinks.

Jalandhar to get its Virsa Vihar soon
Tribune News Service

The construction of the Rs 1.25-crore Virsa Vihar building has been completed and it would be inaugurated shortly. Mr A. Venu Parsad, Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, has stated this.

Addressing a meeting on the proposed activities at the Virsa Vihar, Mr Parsad said the Virsa Vihar would act as a hub of cultural activities and would promote the culture of Punjab.

“Only those programmes would be allowed to be held at the place that would reflect the culture of Punjab. To enable the people of Punjab to have a glimpse of the culture of other states, artistes from those states would be invited to the Virsa Vihar on a regular basis,” he said. He further said the basement of the place would be given on rent basis by the administration.

Mr S.S. Johl, the Commissioner, Jalandhar Municipal Corporation, Dr Sucharita, the Principal of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Mr Rahul Gupta, ADC, and Captain Karnail Singh, Additional Commissioner (Grievances), also attended the meeting.