Sweet taste of Achievement
Dabbawallas’success mantra for city corporates
Amritsar, March 19
This is an organisation with 125 years of experience, with an annual turnover of over Rs 40 crore and a Six Sigma rating from Forbes, a 99.999999 per cent correctness in functioning, which means error in one in six million transactions. What they do is distribute 565 million dabbas every year to Mumbaikars, everyday giving them a taste of homemade food, from downtowns to suburbs. Not learning their business facts in some fancy B-school, they are the world famous Mumbai Dabbawallas, one of the most efficient and biggest food supply chains. 

Gold traders flay Union Budget
Amritsar, March 19
Fearing excessive intrusion of government departments and high taxation on costly gold ornaments, merchants and manufacturers have flayed the Union Budget.

A view of closed jewellery market at Guru Bazaar in Amritsar (Left)  and Merchants and artisans stage protest on Monday. Photos: samer sehgal

Multiplexes gear up for the toughest season
Amritsar, March 19
Somebody's loss is somebody's gain. This could be true for Bollywood as everybody is looking forward to the upcoming IPL. However, those who are associated with Bollywood believe movies will draw people to theatre as well. The managers of multiplexes in the city are assured of continuous flow of entertainment throughout the cricket and examination season. 

A view of Big Cinemas in Amritsar. Photo: sameer sehgal

Welcome spring with a new home decor
Amritsar, February 19
It’s time to do away with the winter clutter and to make some breathing space at your home because spring is here.

GND varsity’s VC now IIAS member
Amritsar, March 19
The Government of India has nominated Prof AS Brar, Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, as a member of society of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla.

Annual sports meet concludes
Amritsar, March 19
Harpreet Singh, English Department, University Campus, Amritsar, and Poonam Preet Kaur, University Regional Campus, Gurdaspur, were adjudged as best athletes in the Annual Sports Meet-2012 that concluded at the Guru Nanak Dev University today.

Research work recognised
Amritsar, March 19
The collaborative research work on ‘Non-linear optical materials’ by Dr Paramjit Kaur of department of chemistry and Prof Kamaljit Singh of department of applied chemical sciences and technology of the Guru Nanak Dev University has been accepted for publication in Journal of Material Chemistry.

Amritsar, March 19
Continuing its drive against defaulters, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation's (MC) house tax recovery team today raided the commercial establishments located on the both sides of the Majitha road. They sealed as many as 17 properties, which included two wine shops.

Shushant Bhatia, Superintendent, House Tax Department, MC, said two wine shops did not pay Rs 1.23 lakh as taxes to the corporation.

Besides this, seven shops of garments, dry-cleaning and utensils were sealed for not paying taxes. These establishments owed Rs 26,000 as house tax to the MC. An AC shop was sealed for the same reason. Besides this, three shops on Chhabal road were also sealed for defaulting.

"A garage too was also sealed as its owners did not pay Rs 60,000," Shushant said.

It has been learnt that the MC has a list of 145 defaulters, which include 109 liquor vends.

The MC officials said the drive would continue till March 31. "We aim to recover an amount of Rs 18 crore till March 31," he said.

Amritsar, March 19
Manpreet Kaur, a resident of Islamabad area, sustained injuries while defending her belongings when two motorcycle-borne youths attempted to snatch her purse, but she did not let the culprits flee from the spot.

It is learnt that Manpreet Kaur, with her husband and children, was going on an auto-rickshaw last evening towards Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh when the youths riding a motorcycle tried to snatch her purse, in which she had about Rs 1,000 cash and other belongings.

But Manpreet did not leave the purse. In the process, she fell down from the auto-rickshaw and sustained injuries on her arms and legs. The two youths too got unbalanced and fell from their motorcycle. They were nabbed by the onlookers and handed over to the police.

The accused were later identified as Rajinder Singh of Sewa Nagar located at Ram Tirath Road and Baldev Singh of Ram Tirath Road. A case under Sections 382, 323 and 34 of the IPC has been registered against them at Islamabad police station in this regard. The accused were taken on police remand and further investigations were under progress, said the police authorities.

Meanwhile, Manpreet Kaur was admitted to the Civil Hospital.

In another incident, an Islamabad resident, identified as Vidhu Mahajan, became the victim of snatchers when she was going to the railway station on a rickshaw. Two youths snatched her purse near Gwalmandi on main GT Road. A case has been registered. 

Amritsar, March 19
A day after a thief decamped with cash from an ATM which had no security guard, the Amritsar Tribune found out that many such ATM booths of several banks exist in the city which lack proper security.

Though the police releases instructions from time to time, the banks especially PSUs pay no heed to the orders. Even many private banks were found not employing security guards at the ATM booths.

In yesterday's incident, a thief who had knowledge about ATMs dismantled a machine of State bank of India. He also cut the wires of CCTV cameras so as to escape without being identified.

Recently, several unidentified persons had entered into the branch of Punjab National Bank after breaking a wall at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. There was also an ATM machine located adjoining the bank.

Ironically, such incidents have failed to wake up the bank authorities. A majority of the cases have taken place during the late evening or wee hours.

The authorities in PSUs have a readymade answer that they had written to their higher ups regarding appointing security guards at ATM booths, and they are yet to get any response from them.

"What we can do? We have repeatedly told them about the situation. Being a nationalised bank we have limited power and can only write to our senior authorities. It is up to them to deploy a watchman as per the policy of the bank. Usually the process takes time due to cumbersome procedure to get the necessary sanction of higher authorities," said a branch manager of a nationalised bank on the condition of anonymity.

In the past incidents, the miscreants had tried to break open ATM machines of Punjab National Bank on Sultanwind Road and Jallianwala Bagh, State Bank of India, Dhapai Road. A number of such incidents had occurred in the city in 2011 too. However, in majority of these cases, the miscreants were unsuccessful in their attempts.

RP Mittal, Police Commissioner, said a meeting has been called tomorrow with the committee involving representatives of various banks in this connection.

"I will hold a meeting with the representatives of the banks tomorrow and will raise the issue with them. I will ask them to take swift and stringent measures. These banks need to employ security guards and install CCTV cameras as soon as possible. The police will also write to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to pass necessary instructions to all the banks in this regard," said Mittal. 

Amritsar, March 19
This is an organisation with 125 years of experience, with an annual turnover of over Rs 40 crore and a Six Sigma rating from Forbes, a 99.999999 per cent correctness in functioning, which means error in one in six million transactions.

What they do is distribute 565 million dabbas every year to Mumbaikars, everyday giving them a taste of homemade food, from downtowns to suburbs.

Not learning their business facts in some fancy B-school, they are the world famous Mumbai Dabbawallas, one of the most efficient and biggest food supply chains. With such a profile, they are businessmen who don't ride on the fact that they are big.

"It feels good when people appreciate the effort put in by each dabbawalla everyday," replies Raghunath Medge, president, Dabbawallahs Association. As many as 5,000 men, travelling 70-80 km each day, providing lunch to 2,00,000 Mumbaikars everyday all in a span of 3 hours is no joke. "For us, it's everyday business," comes another humble reply from Raghunath.

Medge was in city to on the invitation of Khanna Paper Mills, sharing his experience and success mantra with the corporate in the city. Giving a presentation on effective management mantras, Medge gave insights into how the 5,000-odd semi-literate workforce of dabbahwallas has made it to the Harvard case studies.

"We have an error-proof system. Trust is our main driving force. It works as a brand ambassador for us. We have three generations of customers who are a part of our loyal customer satisfaction list. And, it's growing."

"They still follow the traditional system of supplying food over the years, traveling on bicycles and local trains for their task. That is something we all look forward to learning and implementing in our business establishments," said Suneet Kochar, director, Khanna Paper Mill.

With their service, their menu too hasn't changed, but just got healthier. "We have to serve people fond of different tastes. With us the concept of home-cooked food means giving customer what he wants to eat. We also have nutritionists consulting us for providing diet food," says Medge. And, what's more interesting than their work is the fact that they don't have a retirement age. Now, that's some incentive.

Amritsar, March 19
Fearing excessive intrusion of government departments and high taxation on costly gold ornaments, merchants and manufacturers have flayed the Union Budget.

The city’s traditional gold ornament market, Guru Bazaar, and all jewellery shops, on the call of the All-India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, would observe a two-day strike from March 20.

This was told by office bearers of the Bullion and Ornaments Merchants Welfare Association, Amritsar. A delegation of jewellers is expected to participate in the proposed two-day national level meet of Akhil Bhartiya Swarnkar Sangh on April 8.

A jeweller, Charanjit Arora, said doubling of the import duty on standard gold from 2 to 4 per cent and on non-standard gold from 5 to 10 per cent would make the already-costly gold ornaments pricier. He anticipated that it would trigger an increase in prices in the range of 2.5 per cent to 4 per cent from early next month. Besides, encouraging imports through illegal channels. This is the second increase in customs duty on gold since the start of this year, he said while stating that in January the government had increased the custom duty from 1 to 2 per cent. He said constant rise in gold prices had hit the prospects of families from lower and middle income group to procure the yellow metal which is a must in marriages.

Another gold ornament trader, Anil Kumar Jain, said a new tax of 1 per cent on cash purchase of bullion or jewellery above Rs 2 lakh would bring the trade and traders under the purview of excise department. He said already the sales tax department is collecting 1.1 per cent VAT while income tax department keep a keen watch on the income. “Three departments would keep a watch on manufacturing and transaction of gold jewellery,” he said.

Vinod Mehta, another jeweller, said the move was also likely to impact demand and would turn investors away from gold. He rued that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's did not care about lakhs of traders and crores of artisans in the field. He felt that the duty hike would undermine the growth of the diamond-studded jewellery segment which has seen a spurt in local market in the recent years.

The Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal president, Amrit Lal Jain, demanded that the government must roll back the hike to offer respite to the traders. 

A delegation of jewellers is expected to participate in the proposed two-day national level meet of Akhil Bhartiya Swarnkar Sangh on April 8. 

On the call of the All-India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, city’s traditional gold ornament market Guru Bazar and all jewellery shops would observe a two-day strike from March 20.

The Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal president, Amrit Lal Jain, demanded that the government must roll back the hike to offer respite to the traders and artisans.

Amritsar, March 19
Somebody's loss is somebody's gain. This could be true for Bollywood as everybody is looking forward to the upcoming IPL. However, those who are associated with Bollywood believe movies will draw people to theatre as well.

The managers of multiplexes in the city are assured of continuous flow of entertainment throughout the cricket and examination season. “Examination time is limited, and so the twelve or fifteen days of exam do not mean bad business for us. We have got our audience coming consistently,” says Vishal Anand, head of operations and sales, Fun Cinemas at Alpha One.

Even the upcoming IPL doesn’t seem to have its ill-effects as predicted. “During the last edition of IPL big movies actually broke the monotony of cricket. Bollywood is ready with some major releases now like Housefull 2, Ferrari Ki Sawari, Tezz and Titanic in 3D. I believe that the business will be as usual,” he adds.

Multiplexes have chalked out ways to sustain itself during the IPL season. Cinepolis, another major player in city, has its strategy lined up like special screenings of movies that will release and screening of IPL matches.

Sources from Big Cinemas share that although last year the movie industry suffered a loss of 20 to 40 per cent during this season, however, this year the story is going to be different. “If there is a constant flow of good movies every weekend, then the audiences will come for sure. But you can’t do anything if there aren’t any movies. So it all depends on the industry.”

As for the movie buffs, it’s not a big deal. “During exams, one actually tends to forget about movies. But once it’s over, it’s the only thing to do for us. As such Amritsar is not a very big city and there is not much to do around here. That makes watching movie at multiplexes our favourite activity,” says Sudeepa Singh, a student from BBK DAV College.

Films like Kahaani and Paan Singh Tomar made some impact in the box office in the last two weeks. However, movies like London New York Paris and others failed to have a successful run. This week too has no change in the movie listings across the city multiplexes.

Amritsar, February 19
It’s time to do away with the winter clutter and to make some breathing space at your home because spring is here.

While planning to re-work on home decor, Vastu and Feng Shui come in handy. According to most Vastu and Feng Shui experts, spring is a time to focus on removing physical, mental and emotional clutter from our lives.

“Every season brings in a change in nature’s elements. Each element has its own specific characteristics and can be described in terms of season, direction, colour and shape. Anything that is neglected, forgotten, unwanted, or unused will affect the positive energy in your home. Subsequently, you will feel clogged and stuck in the past; as if your life is not moving forward,” said Monika Joshi, a city-based Vastu and Feng Shui expert.

Wood is the element of spring. The direction associated with wood is east, where the sun rises. “Wood promotes change. It represents flexibility, growth and new beginnings. Wood is represented through the colour green. The shape for wood is tall, rectangular all traits that are perfectly revealed during the spring,” she said.

There are piles of winter storage found in corners of our home. Spring cleaning allows you to make room for the summer.

Replace bulky window drapes with lighter ones to let sunlight in. Place some flowering plants at your gateway or garden will add extra freshness to your home. If you have liking for artificial plants then bring on some to add on to your spring home décor.

“Colours play an important role in giving a facelift to house. Colour therapy usually identifies specific colours for the season like green which represents tranquillity, hope, and freshness. Also, it gives a refreshing look. In plants, green indicates good and healthy energy. So, lot of plants should be used as a part of home décor. Gardening is important in spring as nature is in its full bloom,” said Reynu Mehra, another Feng Shui expert from the city.

“Blue-green mint and aqua are auspicious colours in spring. They are closely aligned with the colours of nature,” she added. “Pastels and green-blue colours are cooler and introduce space where there is limitation of it.”

Spring and summer decorations require light furniture, ruling out the bulky ones.

Flowers are important in enhancing the overall effect. So bring some beautiful flowering plants in huge decorative pots and place it in the living room to get the perfect home décor for spring. 

Amritsar, March 19
The Government of India has nominated Prof AS Brar, Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, as a member of society of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla.

He has been nominated for a term of three years. The university here received a copy of notification issued by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Department, in this respect.

Six vice chancellors, educationists and those eminent in the field of learning, cultural and science were nominated as its members. Prof Brar is one of the six vice chancellors nominated.

Amritsar, March 19
Harpreet Singh, English Department, University Campus, Amritsar, and Poonam Preet Kaur, University Regional Campus, Gurdaspur, were adjudged as best athletes in the Annual Sports Meet-2012 that concluded at the Guru Nanak Dev University today.

Harpreet Singh collected 20 points while Poonam Preet Kaur got 15 points. More than 500 players participated in this two-day sports meet organised by the office of the Dean of Students Welfare, Guru Nanak Dev University.

In men’s section, the department of chemical sciences and technology won the championship trophy by scoring 39 points. The department of architecture got this title in women’s section.

Dr HS Randhawa, Deputy Director Sports said Anjali Kumari bagged third position in the World University Games in archery competition and that players also got 40 positions (first, second and third) at the national and international levels.

As many as 50 players of the university campus, Amritsar, participated in the inter-university competitions. Four teams of the university campus remained champion; nine teams got runners-up position and 12 teams bagged the third place.

Amritsar, March 19
The collaborative research work on ‘Non-linear optical materials’ by Dr Paramjit Kaur of department of chemistry and Prof Kamaljit Singh of department of applied chemical sciences and technology of the Guru Nanak Dev University has been accepted for publication in Journal of Material Chemistry.

Sources said this is the first publication from north India in this field of research. This work also fetched the Best Paper Award at north zone meeting of the Chemical Research Society of India held at University of Jammu to celebrate the International Year of Chemistry in 2011.