Make People Aware Before Penalising

 This has become a norm with most of the public authorities.  They take action and expect everyone to comply or get penalised. 

The Chandigarh Administration's recent notice to segregate their waste otherwise they would have to pay fine.  The announcement came on 19th December. And the penalisation begins w.e.f. 22nd December. 

Is the Administration and the people well informed how the wet and dry waste is to be segregated?

There are different points of engagements that need to be taken care of logistically to make segregation a seamless process. 

I remember Panchkula MC began this campaign two years back with extensive hoardings, messaging on mobile, with instructions, besides using the print media, printed leaflets and posters for displaying in public places so that the populace is informed. 

Even the three differently color waste baskets were distributed free to the households; and many retailers also started selling the wastebins in three colors to facilitate its adoption. 

The collection vehicles were painted accordingly, and the MC staff was trained in collection and disposal process. 

Chandigarh Administration should look into all these aspects and instead of imposing fines, should spend at least three months in running public campaigns in which various NGOs should also be involved to spread the message. 

Same is the case with the traffic challans.   On most roads the signage is missing for speed limits, and even if these are there, these are sparsly displayed.  

Similarly with no alternative space demarcated for parking in the absence of the limited parking spaces around the markets, the challans are issued without making any provision for parking.   

The Administration should focus on facilitating residents and making their life easy with workable solutions for which it must also take the responsibility, instead of penalising the people. 

City needs robust infrastructure, job opportunities, connectivity to be a Global City: Experts

‘Visioning Chandigarh’ Conference looks at challenges and opportunities for city

The city ‘s growth requires holistic view of the challenges including its satellite cities of Panchkula and Mohali, and future planning should be inclusive of them, felt experts participating in the ‘Visioning Chandigarh’ conclave-cum-workshop organized by Taaleem College of International Studies (TCIS) and the Institute for Competitiveness India.

Leading senior lawyer of the city M.L. Sarin said that though city indeed is a success in terms of the contribution it has made to the country in more than one way, the original character of the city must be preserved.

The city needs a permanent administrative body, and resented the short-sighted changes and ‘accidental development’ that are harming the eco-system and putting unnecessary pressure on the city’s resources.

Dr. Amit Kapoor, honorary chairman of the Institute for Competitiveness India, which is an extension of global network of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School, said that the city has failed from the business perspective because of the absence of manufacturing industry, lack of highly qualified talent, and low job opportunities for the skilled professionals.

City has much more potential to be a global city and more importantly requires much more proactive people’s engagement with the city, encouraging walking, cycling, etc, he said.  Despite being a small city only 9 percent of the people use the pedestrian way, he added.

Dr. S.P.S. Grewal founder of Grewal Eye Institute said that though the city is relatively a healthy city yet its aging population require more centres of excellence in the medical field, and promotion of medical tourism has great potential.  A good convention centre could be another driver of growth for the city, he added.

Quark Media’s Senior Global HR Director Sofi Zahoor said that there should be a uniform policy for Greater Chandigarh – the tricity – and have a long-term plan to attract bigger companies, and more employment opportunities in the region.

CII-Yi (Young India) Chair of Youth Affairs Amanjot Kaur said that youth in the city have been showing remarkable interest in entrepreneurship, and the city must evolve startup funds and incubators to support them.

Jaiprakash Hasrajani, CEO and co-founder of TCIS and Taaleem India felt the need for better international connectivity that could make the city as a gateway to various other tourism and religious destinations in the adjoining states.

Dr. Kevin Stolarick, Research Director, Martin Prosperity Institute, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada, facilitated the workshop and involved the participant in group exercise to identify the challenges, that ranged from traffic to corruption, waste management, un-cleanliness, vandalized gardens, to ineffective administration.

Some of the other speakers included  Principal Advisor to Government of Haryana Sastry Tumuluri; Business India’s Advisor Dolly Bhasin; Director of The Millennium School Robin Aggarwal, and Gursimran Kaur, founder and COO of ValuerHR eSolutions Pvt Ltd.

International Travel and Tourism Expo opens today

The 14th edition of the international travel and tourism exhibition, India Travel Mart, opens today at Himachal Bhawan in the city.

Addressing the media Mr Ajay Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of India Travel Mart informed that Tourism Malaysia is the partner country in this expo besides Gujarat and Rajasthan Tourism as partner states.  Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Madhya Pradesh and Goa tourism departments are the co-partner states
Some of the top tourism destinations and major international tourism boards and state tourism departments are participating from 21st till 23rd of February, he added.
There are 58 organisations being represented in this unique expo to provide the travelers to get in touch directly with various service providers and take advantage of the packaged offers by international tourism boards, special packages for honeymooners, corporate houses, and adventure tourists, he said.
Malaysia Tourism is launching new airline from Delhi with a packaged offer of travel cum 3-
nights/4-days stay, besides numerous other offers by state tourism boards including Goa.
The visitors to the India Travel Mart would be treated to cultural bonanza by Gujarat with their dandiya performances while the children accompanying their parents can participate in travel quizzes, on-the-spot painting competitions with lots of prizes and goodies to be won.
Participating organizations include Tourism Malaysia, Gujarat Tourism, Rajasthan Tourism,  Bihar Tourism, Maharashtra Tourism, Kerala Tourism, Uttarakhand Tourism, Himachal Tourism, Madhya Pradesh Tourism, Goa Tourism, Indian Railway Catering Tourism and Corporation (IRCTC), Make My Trip, Welcome Heritage, Country Inn, East Bourne Resorts, Surya Vilas, Pride Group, Institute of Tourism & Future Management Trends (ITFT), North India Management Association (NIMA) and many more. The participants will display and provide information about their destinations, attractive Holiday Travel, Tour Packages and other related services.
ITM had been engaged in promoting tourism in the country by showcasing the wide variety of choices ranging from luxurious to budget travelers, and giving opportunities to travel and tourism organizations to interact directly with the people.
The entry to expo is free which will be open from 11am till 7pm

Another Five Star Feather in Chandigarh's Cap

Photo Courtesy: http://www.freevisuals4u.com

The much-awaited five-star property, The Lalit, opened last week in Chandigarh.  After Taj Chandigarh, JW Marriott and Hotel Mountview, this is the fourth entrant but with much bigger offerings, more space, bigger banquet, more rooms, to talk about.  

With 179 rooms, The Lalit shines on the backdrop of the Shivalik hill range in Rajiv Gandhi Technology Park.  Though it does augur well for the CEI (conferences, exhibition and incentives) segment, it may have hard time bringing in more tourists especially with large existing capacity in five-star segment in the city.  

This may be a challenge but the tourist inflow is expected to grow in the city especially with a large number of events on sports, literature, art and culture events happening in the city. And for the time being, as is the city resident's wont, all roads lead to The Lalit to taste the cuisines in its well appointed restaurants. 

Neelam Theatre: The Lovable Hangout

The Neelam theatre in Sector 17 Plaza, Chandigarh, is perhaps one of the oldest heritage building of our city.  Suddenly the dark facade was lit by innovative lighting and an audiovisual show by Rotary Club of Chandigarh on 13th January to mark the three years of polio-free India.  The brightened look attracted many and shoppers and visitors stopped to look around. 

Neelam theatre was a fascinating landmark when it opened in 1962-63 with Manoj kumar-Mala Sinha starrer, Hariyali aur Rasta.  The 1000 capacity auditorium used to be full till 90s, recalls  Rajinder Thakur, General Manager of the theatre, who joined way back in 1967, and continues to hold the fort.
I remember, as a school kid from Ambala in '67 or so, my father drove the family down to Chandigarh from Ambala Cantt for an outing, and it was fascinating for small town folks to be fascinated by the red carpetted floors, giant chandeliers, and a peep into its 70mm screen. Chandigarh was a tourist destination
The road from Sector 18 to Sector 16 used to pass through the entire stretch of the market, in front of Neelam theatre, what it is now the plaza and parking.  And used to be favourite after-College-hangout for most of us.
The theatre is in for renovation and may get converted to a multiplex.  I hope it continues to retain its glorious exteriors the way we have loved it. 

Chandigarh needs comprehensive tourism policy

ny city, in order to qualify, as an international tourism destination, needs several essential factors, but foremost is its visual appeal.  Of course, this does require trained manpower at all touch points to manage the people who are out to explore a city, with requisite supportive infrastructure and clear information.  

Neelam Theatre in Sector 17 at dusk. (c) CJ Singh

Chandigarh may look visually appealing in the day-light and that too at only certain tourist places, but largely, for an unaided tourist driving into the city, it looks unappealing with no visual attraction in most of the other Sectors, since the rear portion of most houses or commercial buildings with back lanes, unkempt shrubs, building waste, etc. would confront any first time visitor. 
On the other hand, the MC's advertising display policy, surprisingly, does not allow businesses to thrive and advertise their presence, thanks to the building bye-laws that have long since been obsolete. 
The city needs a comprehensive tourism policy which can help not only the local business to thrive, but increase the commercial activity that could ensure better standards of life for the residents, as well as more revenue for the Administration to upkeep its public tourist places.  Over the last several years, there had hardly been any substantial increase in the inflow of tourists, primarily because many of the events that can attract foreign tourists do not get to know of it in the absence of its listing on national/international tourism calendars, 
The policy should encompasss right from training to information management, signage, lighting of important monuments and buildings, displays and sculptures, etc. 
Regular training of personnel manning all touch points for tourists right from the waiter in Shatabadi, or a porter and rickshawala at the bus stand/railway station, reception desk in hotels, to guides .  It requires training of cab and 3-wheeler drivers, and those fulfilling the international standard of quality of service and maintenance of their vehicles should get a special badge/sticker to display on their vehicle so that the tourists could use those certified vehicles only. 
The rickshaws should be restricted to ply only on certain routes within the sectors and intra-sectors through internal roads (V3 to V6 only), instead of using the V2, V1, or V roads. 
For a new visitor, entering the city through any mode presents a drab and uninteresting feel. The airport and railway station should be more inviting with tourism hoardings inviting the tourists to key destinations. 
During the day light, the architectural beauty in the northern sector is of course, provides a visual delight but at night, none of these buildings or monument have artistic lighting to make them appealing.  

Buddha Park behind Sukhna Lake. (C) CJ Singh. .

The Buddha peace park behind the Sukhna Lake is a visual delight only at night, though it is other thing, that many a times when I took some guests from abroad to the place in the evening, the spot lights were not working, and there was no one at the place or any information counter where one could contact someone and ask for the blackout. 
The reason is simple. For most of us, it is just a job. I may not switch on/off the lights because it does not concern me. I had a flat tyre. I did not feel like coming. I had to go with my wife for picking up vegetables. And you can hear all of these one time or the other.  None of the officials on the ground I have talked to at various public places, have an answer. Mostly they are absent. And if they are there, their excuse revolves around their own self, and not on the fact, that how much their action impacts the impressions of the city, its administration, and its people, on the visitors.
It may appear herculean task but is doable, given the will, the strategic systematic approach and execution which is possible only through a comprehensive tourism policy

Spread the fire!

Nando's is in Chandigarh . . . and truly it's 'spreading the fire' in the town. Nando's is truly a different genre of restaurant and foods. No wonder it's a preferred destination in 34 countries around the world.  And now, when it has arrived in India starting its journey literally from Chandigarh (though it had been around in Mumbai for two years), the legend has truly landed in the country.
It's not only about chicken but a lot more veggie stuff laced with super-delicious peri-peri.  Forty percent of its menu would cater to the veggies here.  You cannot have everything in one visit and it requires repeated visits to savour the meals here. And everytime, to appreciate and enjoy your food, you need to eat slowly, savour each morsel, enjoy the juices, roll it over, feel the peri-peri tinge, and feel everything melt in your mouth.  Superbly marinated and flame-grilled, every item in the menu is 'peri-peri' exclusive.
You can pick from a wide array of salds, including couscous, mediterranean or caesar, and spice it up a little with 'Appeteasers' which would delight every pallet. For the main course there is an array of veg and non-veg grilled fare, and the food lovers can go for something out of the world meals that includes a Espetada (also available for the veggies), Espedtada Rustica or Chicken Steam. The ones in the hurry can pick up burgers or wraps, while the family can select a sumptuous platter.
And nothing beats Nando's desserts, which are a treat to watch and eat...Caramel Cheese Cake, Chocolate Cake, Fruits of Fantasy, The Chcolate Crunch Roll, etc. etc.
Well, it's great fun, sitting in the restaurant with classy ambiance, enchanting artifacts, and its signature Nando's music.  One would love to wait for the order and enjoy the cosy surroundings while sipping Crimson Cola, Lemon Drop or pomegranate lemonade - Madeira Red, or the Citra.
It's great place to chill with friends, family and business associates.

Are you listening?

LCDs and audios have become common add-ons in every restaurant irrespective of the genre these represents. Be it a fast food joint or a grand sit-down cosy restaurant you are invariably treated to a visual-per-second images of MTV with sound muted, and a heavy rock playing on the audio. We take them for granted. Perhaps we have got used to it trying to figure out the reason for putting up muted-television screens and different audio scores playing at the same time in most of the restaurants. To a foreign tourist this is a bewildering unpalatable combo. "Can I have a little peace please and put down the volume?" asked a harried traveller as he eased himself into a cushioned seat of a popular restaurant and tried to relax and catch up with his reading.
Many of the restaurants have failed to understand the importance of branding the ambiance with appropriate music, and how it impacts the patron. And what about chosing a different music for the morning, afternoon and evening hours? Perhaps someone would start looking into them.

Call Tuk-Tuk

Now Chandigarhians need to dial 4242424 and get a pink-coloured autorickshaw, named Tuk-Tuk, at your doorstep. This novel concept, taking a cue from the 'dial a cab', is definitely a welcome addition to our small city where people need to commute short distances. With transparency in pricing it is catching on with the residents though there is a small fleet at the moment, and hopefully, would be scaled up soon.
It would be good if tuk-tuk as a tourist attraction should carry with them tourist literature, mineral water bottles, a small electrical fridge to have soft drink bottles, which the passenger can purchase from the driver.
Happy tuk-tuk.

Wah! Chandigarh

Chandigarh continue to draw "Wah, Wah" from numerous visitors for many reasons...its architecture, its comparatively cleaner surroundings, well-manicured lawns and gardens, wide avenues, and salubrious greens.
To celebrate the spirit of Chandigarh, CII Chandigarh Council has decided to launch a three months campaign, "Wah! Chandigarh".
The full day conference shall be held at CII Convention Centre on 13th August, from 10 am onwards.
Mr Pawan Bansal, Hon’ble Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Water Resources, Government of India shall inaugurate the Conference and His Excellency Gen (Retd) Dr S F Rodrigues, PVSM, VSM, Governor of Punjab & Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh shall deliver the Special Address in the Special Plenary session: "Making Chandigarh‘The Civic Capital’ofIndia"
All those who wish to bring a positive change in the society need to be there to express their point of view.
For Registration please contact Tarun Goswami at CII.

Chandigarh to be No Smoking Zone

Come 1st July, and Chandigarh would be No Smoking City, the first one in the country. The Chandigarh Police has already started challaning the people smoking in the public places and restaurants. So smokers coming into the city beware please.

Chandigarh is Changing

Chandigarh is changing at a rapid pace. Besides the population increase with the explosion of IT and the service industry in the northern region, more and more people from other states, as well as from abroad are finding the ambiance just right for their entrepreneurial spirits to grow.
And every day there is new addition to the city's life providing more options to the visitors to enjoy its modern scapes.
However, many of us would soon be missing some of the old landmarks, that many of you left behind before shifting to your homes abroad. For one, the KC theatre has vanished from its site. It is giving place to a new multiplex. Though the Administration is insisting on the owners to retain the original facade and design, let us see what emerges ultimately. The Jagat theatre is also in for make-over with a new multiplex and joining the race is the Jagat theatre, which, just a few days back, has also been taken over by another company on lease for converting into a multiplex.
Well, those who visit the city after one or two years, would definitely find many things changed.