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TIMES CITY
SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI JULY 6, 2014
MAGICAL JOURNEYS
GO LIVE YOUR DREAMS: BIKE, HIKE, CLICK, EAT AND LEARN
FOR ALL THE TRIPS, YOU WILL BE IN THE COMPANY OF A SPECIALIST WHO WILL GUIDE AND INSPIRE YOU
Registration For Manali-Leh Mountain Biking Expedition Starts Today Mountain Biking Trail,
I
Dhruv Shringi | CEO, YATRA.COM
➤ Visit to Pobitora sanctuary, 50 km from Guwahati ➤Visit to Kaziranga & Gibbon sanctuary
➤ Pick up technical tips from our expert
Manali-Leh: Sept 6-17, 2014 We are certain that the passion trails under experienced mentors will be a life-changing experience
Pobitora to Kaziranga: Nov 29- Dec 7, 2014
➤ Cruise at Silaghat. Gourmet Assamese cuisine
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Experience architect: Rajesh Bedi: Recipient of Photographic Society of India’s Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution to wildlife photography, he’s given voice to India’s rich environmental and cultural heritage through a series of TV films
➤ A 500-km cycling trail over 12 days & 11 nights ➤ Negotiate five towering passes, including Tanglang La at an elevation of 5340 m
Kashmir Culinary Trail,
➤ Experience the thrill of standing next to the sign that says: You are at the world’s second highest motorable pass
➤ A day with chef Ghulam Rasool Waza to learn the art of Wazwan
Srinagar to Gulmarg:
Oct 8–12, 2014
➤ Pick up vegetables from Dal Lake’s floating morning market ➤ Visit Zaidal Kaidal fourth bridge for spices
Experience architect:
➤ Munch on Moinj Ul, a Kashmiri snack
Biking guru Rajesh Kalra
➤ Gorge on gushtaba, rishta, tabak maaz with Kashmiri celebrities
who has played both leader and organizer to a host of tough expeditions. A chief editor at Times Internet, he is a trained a high-altitude mountaineer and marathoner
➤ Gondola ride in Gulmarg and more
Experience architect: Maryam Reshi: Celebrated restaurant critic who writes a weeklycolumn for TOI, editor of annual Times Food Guide, relentless traveller
Dhaba Trail, Delhi to Amritsar:
Dec 24-27, 2014
➤ A gastronomic journey on a double-decker bus ➤ Relish Tandoori parantha with white butter at Murthtal. Saag meat at Puran Singh da dhaba, Ambala. Bhunna meat at Pal da dhaba, Chandigarh. Gur ki chai, Patiala. White butter chicken at Chawla Chicken, Ludhiana. Demos of butter-making in Karnal. Watch the making of soan papri. Visit Wagah border. Return by flight
Experience architect: Kunal Kapoor: Chef, author and celebrity judge on the hit show, MasterChef India, Kapoor is the executive Sous Chef at The Leela Ambience. He recently got the prestigious Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship
Creative Writing Trail, Garhwal Hills:
Spotting Snow Leopard Trail, Ladakh:
Feb 27-Mar 1, 2015 Experience architect:
February 6-13, 2015
➤ Flying to Leh. Visiting Shey Palace, Thikse and Hemis monasteries
*All schedules are subject to change
n an age when work invades our life 24x7, holidays are like soul curries. They renew us. Yet memories of many vacations often disappear fast, much like mist in the mountains. There are no takeaways. But what about a holiday that is customized, experiential and informative – A vacation where you can indulge in a passion dear to your heart. It could be creative writing, wildlife photography, mountain biking or gastronomy -- at a higher level in the company of a mentor. We have named them “experience architects”, masters of their art, who are fun to be with. Men and women who are dedicated to pursuing a passion with ever-growing intensity yet keen to share it with the involved enthusiast. If you ever yearned for such an adventure but didn’t know how, take one of the Times Passion Trails organized by Times Group in association with Yatra.com. We guarantee you a great time. We will ensure that your holiday turns out to be something more than just an uplifting experience; it becomes a transformer in your life. SELECTION FOR If you are a thinking traveller who avoids tourist traps and CYCLING TRAIL seeks out an authentic view of the world, make sure to walk any ➤ Register at www. or all six of Times Passion Trails TimesPassionTrails.com scheduled between September from July 6 onwards with a 2014 and February 2015. Each of fee of Rs 1000 (refundable) these will accommodate only 15 ➤ Google hangout on July participants making it an exclu13 for interested readers sive experience. ➤ Based on answers given “We have always focused on on the registration form giving our customers a memoraand interaction with Rajesh ble experience in terms of travel Kalra on the Times Passion and are certain that the thematic Passion Trails led by informed Trails Facebook page, a list and experienced mentors will be of 15 participants will be a life-changing experience. There announced on July 26. are se gments of travellers ➤ Post selection, cyclists who want to go beyond the ordihave to pay a participation nary and these trails have been fee using Yatra.com designed kee ping them in payment gateway by July 30 mind,” says Dhruv Shringi, CEO, ➤ Six-week-long training Yatra.com. under the supervision of Here’s a brief outline of how Rajesh Kalra we intend to do it. We will take you on a 12-day mountain terrain biking trail from Manali to Leh with Rajesh Kalra, a passionate supporter of biking. A trained high-altitude mountaineer and marathoner too, he will train you to be fit before you embark on the adrenalin adventure. Registration for the trail begins from July 6. The 500-km ride will take you over five mighty Himalayan passes of dizzying heights, over switchbacks that are awe-inspiring, and where you will feel every muscle and sinew stretched to the limit. The six trails offer a range of options for a variety of tastes. Those who prefer culinary seduction can opt for the Kashmiri culinary trip. From street-food addicts to wildlife photography lovers, from those interested in spotting the rare snow leopard in Ladakh to those wanting to be the next Ruskin Bond – there is something in store for everyone who prefers to eschew the beaten path. As the 20th century American poet Robert Frost once wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.”
Wildlife Photography Trail,
gettyimages
➤ Drive to Rumbak, explore the area for four days and try to spot the snow leopard ➤ Rumbak is part of Hemis National Park, referred to as snow leopard capital of India
Experience architect: Ajeet Bajaj: A Padma Shri awardee, Bajaj is the first Indian to have completed the coveted Polar Trilogy comprising skiing to the North Pole, to the South Pole and across the Greenland Icecap www.timespassiontrails.com
End that writer’s block, re-energize the mind with mountain walks, finest of food and creative interaction with authors around Mussoorie
www.facebook.com/pages/Times-Passion-Trails
Renowned journalist Bachi Karkaria is a master of satire. She pens the extremely popular column, Erratica, which appears in TOI. She is the first Indian on the board of the World Editors Forum
twitter.com/PassionTrails
AIIMS society park bans ball games Discoms resisting audit: CAG tells Jung Pradeep Thakur
Rajesh Mehta
Risha Chitlangia
TNN
New Delhi: “The park is being misused by children of the society. It has been decided by the managing committee that no football, cricket, hockey or any other hard ball games would be played in this park,” reads the circular issued to residents of ‘The Doctors and Administrators of AIIMS’ cooperative group housing society in Vikaspuri. The resident welfare association has barred children older than 10 years from playing in the main society parks. Parents, who are irked by this “insensitive attitude”, say children have no play spaces left as RWAs and elderly people are preoccupied with the beauty of the gardens. While this is a common problem in residential colonies, it is more evident in group housing societies where space is a constraint. Instead of accommodating children's needs, several RWAs have either made parks off-limits or earmarked a small portion for them. However, games like cricket, football and hockey that demand space are a complete no-no.
BATTLE FOR SPACE: The RWA of the apartments in Vikaspuri has barred kids from playing to maintain the park’s manicured look
“We can’t forbid kids from playing in parks, but the RWA attempts to keep out those above 10 years. If games like cricket and football won't pass muster, then what will kids play? People are ready to compromise the health and future of kids for ornamental purposes,” says V Raj, a resident. The society president, P K Singhal, says, “The decision was taken by the managing
committee. We have to do what the residents want. So far, no one has approached me over the circular. If they have an issue, they should contact me. Residents need to find a middle ground.” In group housing societies in Dwarka, space is a common complaint. Members of Dwarka Forum, which has over 300 societies registered with it, say they often get cases of dispute between parents and
PLAY GROUNDED
RWA members. “Societies can’t create playfields because of limited space. Kids will have play sports in nearby parks to prevent any damage to property. For kids below 10, most societies have set aside space,” says Rejimon C K, vice-president of Dwarka Forum. Kids are at the receiving end even in Patparganj. “These societies have been around for three to four decades. The government should develop parks where kids can play,” says Suresh Bindal, president of Indraprastha Vistar Sahakari Awas Societies Mahasangh. Parents feel space can be created if elderly people are ready to play ball. “A few years ago, we had submitted a proposal for constructing an amphitheatre where kids can play. The proposal was rejected as most residents signed against it,” says Gurpreet Singh Chani. While elderly people agree that kids need to play, they refuse to go easy on the beauty of parks. “The society has worked on sprucing up the parks. If kids want to play cricket and football, they should go to the nearby DDA parks,” says Yashaswani Mhaskar, another resident of the AIIMS society.
TNN
New Delhi: Comptroller and auditor general Shashi Kant Sharma has written to Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung apprising him of the fact that the three discoms in Delhi were refusing to share vital records for audit. The CAG apprised the lieutenant governor of “frequent changes made in data supplied and the missing fields” which remain unresolved. “With such gaps in the information provided to audit, it is not possible to ar-
rive at any reliable audit conclusion,” Sharma said. Tata Power, according to the CAG, has refused to share its energy audit reports, internal audit findings and minutes of its audit committee and all data relating to billing prior to financial year 2011. In fact, none of the discoms have provided complete details of electricity bills prior to 2011. The discoms had very reluctantly agreed for an audit after the Delhi high court had directed them to provide their records. But the HC or-
der has not helped the federal auditor much as it continues to face resistance from these companies which refuse to share vital transaction details for scrutiny. The situation has hardly changed even after the CAG brought this to the notice of the courts. While the government retains 49% share in each of these three discoms, the private companies with 51% share in the joint ventures are calling the shots, according to the CAG’s letter to LG. While BSES Rajdhani Power
Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) are owned by Reliance ADAG, the Tata Power Delhi Distribution is owned by the Tata group. CAG has sought the intervention of the LG and a directive to the chief secretary to ensure that records and information sought by the auditor are furnished at the earliest and that the top bureaucrat should be made responsible for compliance of the above directive on a regular basis.
[email protected] Student held for phone theft TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Days after two students of a private university were arrested for selling a stolen iPhone, a 23-year-old student has been arrested for stealing a senior government official’s mobile phone in Lajpat Nagar. The accused, Hari Om, is studying BSc at a private university in the city. The central government
official told police that his phone went missing from a sweet shop in Lajpat Nagar in May while he was making the payment at the counter. A case was registered at the Lajapt Nagar police station and the police began tracking the phone. They said the accused kept switching the phone on and off and kept changing his location. Police also scanned CCTV footage from the shop.
After weeks of tracking the phone, police traced its location. A team was formed and Hari Om was arrested from his house on Friday. A case of theft has been registered against him. Police said the accused is being questioned in order to ascertain whether he has shared the information on the phone, which contained details of several government officials, with anyone.
ESTATES & PROPERTIES
YOUR SUNDAY STAPLE zEveryone needs a guru to
move up the spiritual path. Find your true guru zBesides self-control, there are several benefits of staying off food and drink during Ramzan ... and more: The secular fabric of Jordan and Deepak Chopra’s secret to personal change in today’s 8-page edition. Ask your vendor for a copy @ 3.00
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