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Savour The Desert Flavours At WelcomHotel Bella Vista

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Any talk of Rajasthan is sure to conjure up thoughts of the famed Marwari culture, the flavour of the arid land and the aan, baan and shaan of the Rajputi Maharajas and Maharanis. But you will be doing injustice to India’s North Western border state if you do not include its cuisine, characterised by liberal use to ghee and rich spices and flavour.

So when an invitation came for a preview of “Rangeelo Rajasthan”, a festival of authentic cuisine from an essentially desert land, which began at WelcomHotel Bella Vista in Panchkula on Friday, we couldn’t hold ourselves back. The festival continues till February 11.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Chef Hanuman Pratap Singh, who has been invited from WelcomHotel Jodhpur to lay out the authentic Rajasthani platter for the Bella Vista guests, gave us a live demonstration of preparing two very popular Rajasthani dishes – the Ker Sangri, a tangy vegetable dish that is a must on every Marwari wedding menu, and a mouth-watering fish curry Rai Ki Macchi. 

Spelling out the rich fare laid out for guests during the week, Duddi Reny Manohar, Executive Chef, and Vivek Khanna, General Manager, WelcomHotel Bella Vista, said the menu has been crafted by Chef Hanuman and his team taking pains to strike a balance between veg and non-veg food enthusiasts.

 

The vegetarian starters include Moong Dal Kebab, Sangri Ke Kabab and Paneer Ke Sooley among others, whereas the menu for non-vegetarian starters includes Rai Ki Macchi, Charkha Murgh and Maas Ke Sooley.

 

The main course of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian menu is a big draw. From Macchi Ramgadi, Murgh Ki Mokal to Laal Maas and Safed Maas, everything has been included in the non vegetarian menu. The vegetarian main course has attractions like Paneer Methi Dana, Chakki Ka Saag, Ker Sangri Achari, Tripolia Subzi and more.

 

The Rajasthani food experience will be incomplete without the world famous desserts – Churma, Misri Mawa, Rajbhog, Malai Ghev and Malpua.

 

The breads include Bejadki Roti and Methi Ki Roti. Some other famous dishes of Rajasthan like Bati Dal, Moong Mogar Jaipuri and Gatta Pulao complete the menu.

 

Vivek Khanna promises that this is just the beginning. “As part of our plans we want to bring authentic cuisines from across India for our guests. We recently held a Kashmiri Food Festival and after this Rajasthani Food Festival we have lined up an Exotic Sizzler Extravaganza, a Gelato Festival and a Wine Festival."

So, savour the desert flavours at ‘Rangeelo Rajasthan’, WelcomHotel Bella Vista !! On till February 11. 

Swanky, But Affordable Infosys Foundation Red Cross Sarai Has 300 Dormitory, Private Room Beds

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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For Rs 100 per person per day a patient or attendant gets a dormitory bed in the swank new 300-bedded sarai (rest house) inaugurated at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI, for short) Chandigarh by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday. All thanks to the Infosys Foundation chaired by Sudha Murthy, which took on itself the task of mitigating the suffering of the multitudes who visit the prestigious health institute from far and near and find it difficult to secure affordable accommodation to stay. The Infosys Foundation Red Cross Sarai with all modern amenities has come up in a remarkably short time of just over a year. Its foundation stone was also laid by Rajnath Singh in September 2016.

The land was made available by PGI to the Red Cross Society Chandigarh which in turn signed a MoU with Infosys Foundation to construct the multi-storeyed building. The foundation contributed Rs 22 crore for the project. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has also chipped in by providing beds, linen and other items.

Photos By : Life in Chandigarh

Sudha Murthy, who conceived the sarai, was at hand to see the fructification of the joint effort. She told media persons, “During my last visit to Chandigarh it came to my knowledge that because of PGI’s reputation as a premier health institution in the region, patients and their attendants in the hundreds and thousands from across the region visit the hospital every day to get medical treatment. I was also told that there is a terrible shortage of affordable accommodation for stay during treatment. That’s how we decided to contribute our bit to mitigate their suffering and the idea of a sarai germinated.”

She informed that “Besides other philanthropic indulgences, the Infosys Foundation has helped raise sarais in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Orissa as well.” On being asked whether the foundation will consider expanding its operations in this region, she said “we will see how this project goes, and depending on its outcome we will take a call.”

The sarai has 300 beds in 36 dormitories and 13 private rooms. A private room will cost a nominal Rs 500 per day. An entire floor has been reserved for women, considering their special needs. The building is serviced by VRV-based multi-split type air conditioning with facility of both cooling and heating.

Other features

·        Backup examination room on each floor for emergencies

·        Lifts & ramps

·        Common areas, including 75-seater cafeteria, waiting hall and reception, administrative office, stores, service areas, etc.

·        Extremely advanced and dependable electrical distribution system designed with highest safety standards

·        Fitted with modern energy saving and energy efficient equipments.

·        20KVA solar photovoltaic plant

·        24X7 hot water supply; generator backup

·        CCTVs, fire extinguishers, etc.

·        Large open area around building for patients to stretch & relax

·        Parking

·        Facilities like ATM, food outlets to be added.

Admn Block & Audi in General Hospital

 

The Union Home Minister later inaugurated an Administrative Block in Government Multi-speciality Hospital (GMSH) Sector 16 built at a cost of Rs. 12 crore and covering an area of 54,537 sq.ft. with five floors and a basement. An Auditorium built on an area of 10,510 sq.ft. at a cost of Rs. 4.50 crore was also inaugurated. The double storey Auditorium consists of an administrative office, library, foyer and green rooms.

 

In a meeting with senior officials of the UT Administration at UT Guest House, Rajnath Singh was given a presentation on the union territory’s achievements.

 

After a luncheon meeting with Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore and Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, the Union Minister spared a few minutes to be with members of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

One Lakh Bikes For Amit Shah Rally at Jind On Feb 15

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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In a massive show of strength, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana is mobilising 1,00,000-plus motorcycles from across the state, one of the largest ever convergence of motorcycles at any one place, for the February 15 motor cycle rally at Jind, from where party’s National president Amit Shah will kick start the party’s campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in the state.

Spelling out the plan for the February 15 rally, state party president Subhash Barala said a minimum of five motorcycles from each poll booth in all the 22 districts of the state are being mobilised for the motorcycle rally. Amit Shah, Chief Minister Manohar Lal, his cabinet colleagues, Barala himself and all other party officer bearers will also participate in the rally on motorcycles.

 

Photos By : Life in Chandigarh

“I will be riding a motorcycle to Jind from my constituency Tohana. Similarly the other party leaders, including members of the council of ministers, will ride motorcycles from their respective constituencies or a considerable distance to the venue. All riders are being asked to wear helmets, follow traffic rules and maintain ‘swachchta’ during the motorcycle rally,” Barala said.

To a question why motorcycle rally was chosen for the occasion, he said riding motorcycles would infuse fresh blood among the party cadres, especially the youth, and they will work with renewed vigour for the success of the party in the 2019 elections.

Barala said the February 15 motorcycle rally in Haryana will be a very big event in preparation for Mission 2019 of the party and massive mobilisation is underway at all levels to make it a grand success.

Dismissing the suggestion that a cabinet reshuffle in Haryana may be in the offing after the motorcycle rally, he asserted that through any change in the council of ministers was the prerogative of the Chief Minister, “as on today, this issue has not been discussed at any level either in the government or the party.”       

 Party insiders feel that the scale of the motorcycle rally is aimed at taking the wind out of the sails of the Congress rallies being separately led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda (rath yatra) and state party chief Ashok Tanwar (bicycle rallies).     

 

 

Living Life King Size In Signature Jack Nicklaus Golf Course

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Imagine a golf lover or enthusiast living in the midst of a world class golf course, in signature Jack Nicklaus style, right here in Punjab’s richie rich town, Ludhiana. Most would say it is unbelievable, but The Imperial Golf Estate at Mullanpur Dakha, near Ludhiana, has made it possible.

The beautifully laid out 9-hole championship golf course, conceptualised by world renowned Nicklaus Design, and spread over 70 acres, is part of the first phase of the 300-acre gated golfing township. The golf course is planned to be expanded to 18-hole under the second phase of the project. This is only the fourth signature Jack Nicklaus golf course in the country after Gurgaon, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Jack William Nicklaus, a retired American professional golfer, is widely regarding as the greatest golfer of all times.

Photos By: Life in Chandigarh

“The 9-hole golf course in all its pristine glory is fully functional, as is the club house spread over 10 acres complete with golf carts and modern clubbing amenities.  We have already sold 70 percent of the stock of 600 residential units in the first phase of the project – 1000 sq yard and 2000 sq yards plots for constructing villas and 1600 sq ft built-up suites. Out of the 200 units offered for possession, 100 buyers have already taken charge of their units,” claimed Ravi Khanna, Director, The Imperial Golf Estate, Ludhiana, while interacting with media persons in Chandigarh, on Thursday.

“We are here to invite the famed golfing community of the tri-city to get a feel of our 9-hole golf course. We are organizing a one-day tournament on January 28 essentially for junior golfers from the region as per IGU guidelines in association with The British School Golf Academy and Indo Canadian Golf Association. Mr Manjit Singh Kochar, Golf Instructor, Chandigarh Golf Club, is helping us conduct this tournament. There is no participation fee and the top three finishers in each category will be awarded trophies. All participants will be presented certificates,” Khanna added.

Giving details of the tournament, Kochar said juniors will participate in five different age categories – below 8 years, 8-9 years, 10-12 years, 13-15 years and 15-18 years. There will also be one category for senior golfers.

John Volz, a golf professional from USA and Head, Golfing Operations, at The Imperial Golf Estate, expressed confidence that the tri-city golfers, as also from other parts of Punjab and the region will participate in large numbers in the tournament. “We promise that you will carry home wonderful memories of an unmatched golf course in the region.”

(For participation, Manjit Kochar can be reached on 98155-54788).

Col (retd) CJ Pal, Project Head, described The Imperial Golf Estate, Ludhiana as a wonderful lifestyle statement with ultra modern amenities. “An extraordinary spend of Rs 66 lakhs per acre on development alone,” which he claimed was four times more than what a well known developer would normally spend, “has ensured a world class golf course and real estate. We are planting 8 lakh trees and bushes in the property out of which 50 percent have already taken roots.”

Giving commercial details, Sumit Kumar, Marketing Head, said plots in the The Imperial Golf Estate, Ludhiana, were being sold @ 90,000 per square yard and the 1600 sq ft suites had a price tag of Rs 80 lakh each.

Mona Sethi, Chairperson, The British School Golf Academy, Chandigarh, was also present at the press meet.

For more details : http://www.imperialgolfestate.com/index.html

Ambassador Kozlowski Holds Out Olive Branch To Indian Students

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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With the countries constituting the European Union (EU) showing a steady and sustainable growth over the past four years, and the consumer confidence in these countries on a high, the stage is set for taking EU-India ties to a next level. It also opens up greater opportunities for post graduate students from India to avail of the unlimited full scholarship facilities to study in European universities.

Expressing these views while interacting with media persons at the Panjab University on Friday, EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski said the parameters of a sound economy – investments, employment and exports – were showing a steady increase and the all important consumer confidence had  risen to the highest level in the last 16 years. The growth rate of the economy in EU as a whole is expected to be 2.3 percent this year, which is the fastest pace of growth in the last 10 years, he added.

Photos By: Life in Chandigarh

The EU Ambassador was in Chandigarh on the occasion of EU Day being organised by the Panjab University. He participated in an international conference on the theme “EU-India Cooperation on Foreign Policy and Security – Challenges and Opportunities – & EU Higher Education Initiatives.

Kozlowski said the political leadership in EU and India were on the same page and recent official-level and summit meetings had helped firm up the resolve from both sides to take this four decades old relationship to new heights. Though EU continues to remain India’s single largest trading partner, despite Brexit, with a combined balanced trade surpassing 100 billion Euros, both sides feel that it was well below the huge potential. Renewed efforts to close the long standing and ticklish free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU and India was a clear indication of the common thought process, he shared.

The areas of EU-India cooperation now include foreign policy and security issues, trade and economics, sustainable development and modernisation, research and innovation as well as people-to-people contacts. In the field of science and technology, the two sides were in the process of taking up projects on shared funding pattern in many areas, including water, energy, health, advanced materials and nanotechnology, bio-economy, information and communication technology, green transport and polar research.

On cooperation in combating terrorism, the EU Ambassador said both sides were taking concrete measures for decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities, including chose known to be operating from India’s neighbouring country.

Inviting Indian Students For Full Scholarships

Citing numerous opportunities for Indian students to avail of full scholarships under various EU-funded programmes for higher education and research like Erasmus+, Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions, the Jean Monnet Programme and Horizon 2020, Kozlowski said up to 2017 as many as 5,367 Indians had already benefited from the famous Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree Programme alone (600 of them from Punjab), making India the single largest beneficiary of the programme.

He said currently 50,000 Indian students were studying in various universities in the EU and the figures are rising steadily. All the universities offering the scholarships have English as a medium of teaching, he said adding that 120 Indian universities had already been involved in active exchange programmes with EU universities, and around 100 in joint master programmes or capacity-building projects.

Ever Smiling Face of Meena Bazaar Founder Is Now A Memory

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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He presided over the famous fashion house Meena Bazaar for more than four decades and was held in high esteem by the fashion fraternity in the tri-city. No wonder, a sea of friends, admirers and well wishers turned up when S.P. Jain was laid to rest at the Manimajra Cremation ground on Wednesday. He was in his early 70s.

His elder son Rajnish lit the pyre and the younger son Manish remained behind him right through the last rites. S.P. Jain leaves behind his wife Aruna, his two sons, his daughters-in-law Aarti and Pooja, his daughter Deepika and son-in-law Satyam Aggarwal. He also has five grand children Manasvi, Bhavya, Ananya, Aayush and Piyush.

Photos By: Life in Chandigarh

S.P. Jain first started his fashion business from a showroom in Sector 17 near Neelam Cinema.  It was fairly popular, but his business really took off after his sons joined the business and they opened a second outlet of Meena Bazaar in NAC Manimajra in the late 1990s. From a showcase it gradually developed into a mall of sorts. Next came the outlet in Mohali in 2010, followed by the opening of a premium women’s fashion house Aliyana. The most sought after twin fashion houses in NAC Manimajra became a landmark in the area.

For the past many years the business was being spear-headed by the two sons Rajnish and Manish, with S.P. Jain gradually relegating himself to the background. The ever smiling face of the founder, who manned the cash counter for four decades, will alas, now remain a memory on the wall behind it.

The Brew Estate Presents 3 Exquisite Floors & A Sky Bar !

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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The foodies in the tri-city and around are striving for ever more, and local, national and international food and beverage brands are rushing to cash in on the insatiable demand. The new year has started on a blistering note with two new large format cafe cum bars of different genres opening up one after the other within the first week, and the buzz is a dozen more are readying to step in. While national brand ‘Social’ opened its first two-level all day café and bar by the name ‘Sector 7 Social’ in Chandigarh on Wednesday, fast growing local brand “The Brew Estate’, which is claimed to be the largest microbrewery chain in the tri-city, threw the doors open to its fifth outlet, covering a massive area spread over four floors in Panchkula’s Sector 9 on Thursday.

Launching its first outlet in Chandigarh’s Sector 26 in January 2016, The Brew Estate, which by its very name indicates the expansive size of its outlets, is growing at an exponential rate, marking its presence in Sector 35 and Elante Mall in Chandigarh, in Patiala, and now in Panchkula within a short span of two years.

Photos By: Life in Chandigarh

Says an exuberant Arun Singla, director and promoter of the venture, “We are growing fast because of the extraordinary confidence and love shown by our patrons in our passion for providing quality food, service, unmatched ambience and tasteful music to match. We are confident of taking the brand to new heights by expanding at a fast clip in the region, the rest of the country and even internationally. We have plans to open ten new outlets in the next two years. Among the places identified for spreading our wings are Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Shimla in the region and Dubai and Vancouver abroad. We can consider giving franchisee licences maybe at a later stage, but right now we have no such plans,” he maintained.

“We have our services in the basement of the building and the décor on all the four floors open to patrons is refreshingly different and mesmerising. The Panchkula microbrewery in the only one in the tri-city to be housed on four floors of a large showroom with a sky bar on the fourth floor with lush green garden, again an exclusive to The Brew Estate. The seating capacity of 395 is by far the largest in the tri-city,” he asserted.

Virtually throwing a challenge at other microbreweries, Arun Singla says “Our master brewers have come from Germany and Belgium, and have an impressive grasp of the art of brewing that cannot be replicated anywhere in the country. Our wide range of brews is made with perfection, and thrill the patrons no end.”

Spelling out the USP of the brand, Arun Singla says “We want to give our patrons the best international experience they can get anywhere in the world. The food we serve is prepared with love by our highly trained chefs. The variety includes a wide range of nibblers, healthy din sums and soups, greens, groumand bite burgers, handmade wood fired thin currish 13-inch pizzas, wood fired grilled, and an endless range of veg and non-veg starters, rice and biryanis, noodles, Indian breads. We serve Indian cuisine, Italiano and other European cuisines.”

So come, soak in the resplendence of The Brew Estate Panchkula !

Sidhu Envisions Uddta Punjab™ Of The Pure Kind

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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The urban local bodies will run like well oiled machines, the rich culture of Punjab will be revived to its old glory and tourism will become a great source of income and inspiration for the people of the state. It’s hard to believe in a state reeling under a financial crisis and weighed down by massive corruption. But the flamboyant Punjab cabinet minister in charge of these departments Navjot Singh Sidhu exudes supreme confidence that it is possible, and he will make it happen come what may. Believing in the adage “where there’s a will, there’s a way” he appears to be banking heavily on central assistance to push through his agendas.

In a new year interaction with media persons on Wednesday, Sidhu said he had already met with some success in getting the central government to approve release of funds for the three smart city projects, for tourism circuits proposed by the state government and strengthening of fire safety mechanism in the state.

He informed that the central government had approved release of Rs 350 crore for the smart city projects in Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar and another Rs 50 crore was being contributed by the state government for the purpose. And, with Amritsar being declared a heritage city, the state government will be able to spend Rs 600 crore on these three smart cities during this year – Rs 200 crore for each city.

Photo By: Life in Chandigarh
The ministries of home affairs and housing and urban affairs are also expected to release funds to the tune of more than Rs 750 crore for strengthening the fire services, purchase of fire equipments and raising a fire services training centre in the state.

Another Rs 100 crore had been cleared by the Union Tourism Minister for religious and heritage tourism projects in Punjab, including Sri Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Chamkaur Sahib, Jallianwala Bagh, Hussainiwala and Khatkar Kalan memorials, Saragarhi and Kalanaur.

The minister claimed that more resources would be generated through better compliance of rules and plugging of leakages in collection of various levies and expenditures in the urban local bodies. Maintaining that speedy implementation of e-governance measures was the only way to check the rampant corruption in the system, he announced that in order to streamline the functioning of urban local bodies and to assess the irregularities and shortcomings M/s Grant Thornton Ltd had been appointed as an independent review and forensic audit agency.

Grant Thornton has been mandated with carrying out the forensic audit of infrastructure work carried out by the urban local bodies in the last 10 years. In the first phase, the agency will conduct the audit in four municipal corporation towns of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala, four improvement trusts in these towns, and three municipal councils of Kharar, Zirakpur and Rajpura. The agency will look at works related to water supply, sewerage and sewerage treatment plants (STPs) carried out by the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board and works related to town planning department.

To generate substantial savings in energy consumption, conventional bulbs in all 4.90 lakh street light points in the urban local bodies will be replaced with energy efficient LED lights between March and November this year.

A massive recruitment exercise has been undertaken to fill up more than 600 vacancies of engineers, inspectors and senior assistants in various urban local bodies by the end of the current financial year.

Under an urban infrastructure improvement plan, the department has begun the process of providing 100% river water supply, sewerage, roads, street lights and storm water maintenance facilities to the urban population.

Punjab Arts Council Chairman Surjit Singh Patar, who was also present, spelled out the various initiatives of the council in touching each one of the 12,000 villages in the state with its activities aimed at changing the distorted mindsets of large sections of the rural population and restoring the glorious period of Punjab shaped by Guru Nanak and various rishis and sufi saints.

His vision for Punjab involves restoring weekly arts and culture periods in educational institutions, holding arts festivals and competitions to identify and nurture talent, creating nursery rhymes steeped in Punjabi culture, posting of periodic online magazines with best contributions in poetry, short films, paintings, etc. from the youth. He has also proposed grant of scholarships for promotion of art and culture among Punjabis during the 550th birth anniversary of first Sikh Guru Nanak Dev in 2019 when an Asian Art Festival is also planned to be held.

While claiming that a comprehensive tourism policy was ready for formal launch soon, Navjot Singh Sidhu said various tourism circuits on thematic lines had been finalised by the state government and would be taken up by one by one for development with technical and financial assistance of the central government. Among the circuits identified are Spiritual Circuit, Maharajah Circuit and Mughal Circuit.

The two occasions of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak and centenary year of Jallianwala Bagh in 2019 will be commemorated on a grand scale to attract tourists from across the world.

Policies are also being formulated to promote film tourism by establishing film cities and medical and wellness tourism in a big way. Conservation of cultural and heritage sites and early completion and promotion of Virasat-e-Khalsa to make it the most visited museum in the country are also on the top of the state government’s tourism agenda.

Wildly Popular Social Opens In City As ‘Sector 7 Social™

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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An original vintage tram brought straight from its place of origin, Kolkata, serves as its entrance. The game-changing brand ‘Social’, an all-day cafe and bar, which opens to the public in the back lane of Sector 7 in Chandigarh on January 4, brings to the city design elements which are quirky, but functional, designed as an ideal space for work and play. Spread across two levels and a 10,000 sq. ft. area, ‘Sector 7 Social’ creates a series of diverse experiences for the guests. From the tram entrance to tight pockets of spaces leading to a large amphitheatre like courtyard with stadium seating and an outdoor bar, Sector 7 Social is a maze of spaces, seamlessly integrated with a thread of experiences, which the promoters describe as “an architectural pun on the planned city of Chandigarh.”

Sector 7 Social has been brought to Chandigarh in a partnership between Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., founded by Riyaaz Amlani aand Kiran Salaskar, which also owns the brands Mocha – Coffees & Conversations,  Smoke House Deli (the transformation of refined dining into casual chic), Salt Water Café (a contemporary take on timeless European cafés) and The Tasting Room (quaint wine haven, on the one hand and Chandigarh based Aelius Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., which also runs popular restaurants and lounges like Swagath, Mainland China, Satva Lounge, S-Lounge and Karim’s in the city. This first outlet in Chandigarh is Social’s 18th  in the country after becoming wildly popular in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.

Photos By: Life in Chandigarh
Shaleen Kapur, one of the directors of Aelius Entertainment, in an exclusive conversation with Lifeinchandigarh.com, chose to describe Sector 7 Social as a “new generation Indian Coffee House, stitching together a maze of different environments, all of which seamlessly come together to create the iconic ‘work meets play’ concept that Social has become synonymous with. Co-working in Chandigarh is a revolution of sorts aimed at promoting openness, accessibility, cross-pollination of ideas to create an inspiring community of people. Social is a concept, an initiative that provides a legit physical space for inspired minds to hang together, work together and obviously party together, and the Chandigarh market is ready for that.”

He says, “Sector 7 Social has everything an office has – a boardroom, wall-space, and wall-to-wall uber high-speed WiFi on level 2 – while on the ground floor patrons enjoy the outlandish food and drinks on offer. Level 2 is buzzing with ideas and chatter of networking and meetings and after the proverbial ‘workday ends’, the space seamlessly transforms into a high energy bar.

What’s different about ‘Social’? Everything, claim the promoters. “Social is everything but your run-of-the-mill square restaurant. Right from the decor to the drinks, the food to the ethos, everything about it is far left of center. Quirky drinks and deconstructed dishes are the cafe’s USP, all served with a large helping of unorthodox. It’s also the land of the free (lancer) and home of creative souls looking for an exhilarating alternative to a typical work day. It’s a path-breaking urban hangout that’s designed to take you offline while still keeping you connected; a place where networking can happen even if the net’s not working (don’t worry, the net’s always working). It’s a space where artists meet designers and innovators meet entrepreneurs meet photographers, writers meet web developers, and creative independents meet to bounce ideas off like-minded peers.”

Riyaaz Amlani, C.E.O. & MD, Impresario Handmade Restaurants (parent company of Social) says, “We are very excited to be moving into Sector 7, and I’m thrilled to bring the Social experience to Chandigarh, with a renewed commitment to creating a hotbed of creativity and a space that thrives on synergy for young entrepreneurs and inspired minds. The energy here is palpable, and as always, we will continue to challenge norms across the board, which will extend to food and drinks as well.”

About Riyaaz Amlani

Riyaaz Amlani is an entrepreneur and a restaurateur based in Mumbai, India. CEO and MD of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd and Ex President of NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India),  Riyaaz over the years has assured a cumulative expansion of Impresario’s operations across the country by establishing 42 restaurants across 11 cities. Its umbrella of brands include Mocha, Smoke House Deli, Salt Water Cafe, Prithvi Café, The Tasting Room, the very recent  and successful brand Social (Present in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore) and Slink & Bardot. Other brands (currently not functional) include Smoke House Grill, Salt Water Grill, Smoke House Room, Shroom, Del Italia, Stone Water Grill and Le Kebabiere.

Starting out as an outsider to the hospitality industry, today Riyaaz is highly respected and well-known in the restaurant business in India. He is known for his uncanny ability to provide unusual and novel experiences in all his ventures. Having sold shoes as a teenager, Riyaaz completed his education in UCLA with a Masters in Entertainment Management. Paving his way through the business, he soon started working as the entertainment consultant for many location based entertainment centers. During this period, Amlani contributed to the building of India’s leading Family Entertainment Centers as well as set up a wellness centre. He soon took over the reins of a leading media company, but gave it all up to open a café partnership with Kiran Salaskar. His vision was a cafe that offered an experience beyond the ordinary. This gave birth to his maiden venture Mocha, considered a pioneering venture in the café industry.

Growing rapidly under Riyaaz’s leadership, Impresario is set to expand its signature brands of Social (all day café, bar & restaurant with a collaborative workspace) and Smoke House Deli (all-day deli and cafe) across India. A strong focus remains on the growth of the two flagship brands Social and Smoke House Deli in Tier 1 cities and brand Mocha (gourmet coffee shop) in the tier 2 cities. There are also plans chalked out for international expansion.

Awards & Recognition (National and International)

Riyaaz Amlani has been recognized as the ‘Best CEO’ by ‘Coca-Cola Golden Spoon Awards’, ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by ‘Franchise India’s Indian Restaurant Awards 2015’, ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by ‘Top Chef Awards’, ‘Best Restaurateur’ by ‘Time Out Food Awards’, ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by the ‘Times Food and Nightlife Awards 2016’, ’50 Most Influential Young Indians’ by GQ Magazine, ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by ‘Living Foodz Powerlist Awards 2016’, the ‘Hall of Fame’ by ‘Food Food Top 100 Awards 2017’, and ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by ‘EazyDiner Foodie Awards 2017’. All his restaurants have not only won various awards in India including Best New Restaurant, Best Bar, Best European Restaurant, Best Ambience, Best Noteworthy Newcomer and Best Coffee Shop, but have also been acknowledged internationally by being nominated for UK’s Restaurant & Bar Design Award as well as shortlisted for Miele’s Top 50 Restaurants in Asia and recognized in Time Out Mumbai’s Top 10 Best Restaurateurs in India. The very recent feather to his golden career hat was the Presidentship of NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India) from Sep, 2014 to Sep, 2017.

Timings : 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Affordable Ownership & Rental Housing In Sharp Focus

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Faced with a massive shortage of housing, more than 90 percent of it in the affordable segment, the Punjab government, has decided to concentrate its energy and resources on incentivizing investment in this sector. Recognising the urgent need for rental housing, this segment will also be encouraged in the coming years. A group of ministers under the chairmanship of Health Minister Brahm Mohindra is already deliberating on finalizing a “holistic” policy on new housing and regularizing existing unauthorized housing colonies by ensuring minimum basic amenities for residents. At the same time stringent measures are being contemplated with the use of modern remote sensing technology to prevent new illegal colonies and constructions to come up.

As per National Building Organization (NBO) estimates, the housing shortage in the state in 2007 was 6.90 lakh units which grew to 12 lakh units in the 2011 census of India, of which 10 lakh units shortfall was in the urban areas. More than 90% of this housing requirement would be required for poor, economically weaker sections and low income group. This was the scenario in 2011 when 37.49 % of Punjab’s total population of 2.77 crore was living in urban areas. This percentage of urban population is estimated to jump to 50 percent by the year 2041, resulting in a near crisis if urgent steps are not taken immediately to increase inventory, especially in urban areas, at a fast clip.

Addressing these issues at a media interaction in the new year, Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Housing and Urban Development Vini Mahajan said the state government was set to unveil a special forward looking policy for affordable colonies in the next two months based on small sized plots with an enhanced saleable area.

Photo By: Life in Chandigarh

Recognising the need for affordable rental housing for students, senior citizens, professionals and labour class, Vini Mahajan said a special policy with provision for incentives to the private real estate developers in this direction is expected to be rolled out in the next three months.

Applications under the Punjab Shehri Awas Yojana-2017 had been received from all towns in the state and these were being scrutinized under the supervision of respective Deputy Commissioners. Benefits under the scheme would be launched by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Republic Day, she said.

Regarding regularization of existing unauthorized colonies, the Additional Chief Secretary said a comprehensive policy, aimed at ensuring minimum basic amenities to citizens who had purchased properties in these colonies, was under the consideration of a group of ministers headed by Punjab Health Minister Brahm Mohindra and is likely to be finalized soon. At the same time stringent measures are being taken with the help of remote sensing technology and drones to prevent any more illegal colonies and constructions from coming up, she said, adding that regulatory wings were being set up in each of the area development authorities and Chief Administrators of these authorities had been given powers of additional director town and country planning for this purpose.

She informed that out of 1214 unauthorised marriage palaces in the state, 1150 had applied for regularization. Some had already been given a green signal by the state government after they fulfilled all necessary requirements, including fire safety norms, adequate parking facility, etc., and others would also get approval as and when they fulfill the criteria laid down in the policy.

Vini Mahajan said that the department had taken measures to improve the interface with the citizens. Starting from e-CLU services on a pilot basis for the Lalru master plan, e-auction across all area authorities, launch of an exclusive app to keep tab on illegal colonies and illegal construction and a PUDA mobile app, the department would this year also be adding e-approval of licenses for development of colonies and online building plan approval.

Coming to projects being taken up in Mohali, she said considering the prospect of increase in demand for housing near the International airport following the launch of international flights from there the process had been started by GMADA for aggregating 4,000 acres of additional land under land pooling policy for expansion of the Aero City project. Similarly, all other area development authorities had been asked to prepare demand based perspective plans for their respective areas to meet the ever increasing demand for housing and commercial sites and aggregate land through land pooling.

A request for proposal (RFP) had also been initiated by GMADA for inviting private parties to set up a Technology University on 50 acres in IT City Mohali, which will also get an ultra modern convention centre, alongwith Ludhiana and Amritsar in PPP mode. Steps are being taken to provide modern amenities like 24×7 water supply, smart water meters, solar power, tertiary treated water, rain water harvesting and adequate green cover in all future projects to be undertaken by the area development authorities, she added.

Anandpur Sahib is also to get a Special Development Authority for its planned and integrated development.

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