TRIDENT, TAJ TOWER REOPEN TODAY

{ December 23, 2008 @ 1:52 pm } · { Business, General/Daily affairs, India, Media, People, Politics/Current Affairs }
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one of my articles..

Our Bureau MUMBAI

TRIDENT, one of South Mumbai’s iconic hotels, will resume operations from Sunday, after it suffered damages in last month’s terror attacks. Taj Tower, a part of the Taj chain of hotels, will also reopen on Sunday evening.

“All rooms and restaurants at the Trident will be in pristine condition to welcome guests,” said Ratan Keswani, president, Trident Hotels. Around 100 rooms out of the total 550 rooms have been booked and will be occupied from Sunday. Of the 100 bookings, around 50-60% are Indian guests. Mr Keswani said traditionally, the Christmas and New Year period is a lean season when the inflow of foreign business travellers takes a dip. “We will understand the actual dip in bookings by the first week of January,” said Mr Keswani at a press conference on Saturday.

Trident is a part of EIH which also operates the Oberoi Hotel. Although, the company did not talk about the opening of the Oberoi Hotel, which was also devastated on 26/11, industry sources said it would take another six-seven months.

The popular restaurants at the Trident such as India Jones, Opium Den, Frangipani and Verandah are learnt to have around 50-60% bookings for Sunday. Both the hotels were insured against business loss due to terrorism with United India Insurance Company and New India Assurance. EIH said it had received Rs 25 crore as advance from New India Assurance.

Since the restoration work at the Trident was minimal, the hotel has managed to open doors for Christmas. According to initial estimates, the restoration work at Trident will cost around Rs 40-50 lakh, while it may be around Rs 40-50 crore for the Oberoi. Mr Keswani added that the company is assessing whether there is any structural problems at the Oberoi.

EIH is constantly in touch with its business partners, the Hotels Association of India and the Tourism Department of the India, to see how the hotel chain can offer value to its guests. The EIH group is also working with a renowned international security agency to add more security measures across all of its properties. Some of the new measures at the Trident include physical frisking of every guest’s bag and submission of a copy of the guest’s identification papers with the local police authorities. Mr Keswani added that for the moment, armed security guards will be positioned at the hotel and some parts of the hotel will be barricaded. Trident would not stop walk-in bookings at its restaurants. However, the hotel would insist on reliable identification proof of the guests, Mr Keswani said.

The Trident has decided not to hold special celebrations for Christmas and New year. However, the restaurants in Trident will have special menus on the festive occasions. The EIH group has also established ‘The Oberoi Care Fund’ in partnership with Give India, an NGO. The fund has been set up after many of the hotel guests and team members expressed a desire to contribute financially to help the families of employees who lost their lives in the tragic events. The Oberoi and the Trident currently contribute to 35% of the inventory and 45% to the topline of EIH.

China wants it’s own citizens to watch the Olympics indoors!

{ August 8, 2008 @ 9:40 am } · { General/Daily affairs, Media, People, Personal, Politics/Current Affairs, Sports }
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I just read a recent report online which said how Beijing wants it’s citizens to watch the Olympics opening ceremony indoors. China wants the streets to be clear of traffic and less polluted due to which this measure has been adopted. But isn’t that unfair!! ?
This kind of opportunity is something which people will experience once in 100 years! SO many people would have made plans to watch the ceremony and their dreams have been shattered. Is showcasing your country’s abilities and grandeur only reserved for outsiders?

If i was in Beijing right now, the most exciting thing for me would be the whole hype around the opening event. Already thanks to a fake Olympic ticket scam many Chinese citizens have been denied the chance to watch any event at the Olympics. This new move would only demoralise people more. Understandably, many Chinese citizens are not excited about the games. After all if the government is going to be so rude who would be interested in the games!

There are people actually buying mini TV sets to watch the Olympics at their homes! That’s such a touching gesture..wish things were otherwise

Deccan Odyssey breaks even after five years

{ July 23, 2008 @ 12:28 pm } · { India, Media, People, Personal }
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My article which came in the paper:

Neha Raghunath MUMBAI
Deccan Odyssey, the luxury train, has managed to break even for the first time since its inception five years ago, according to Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation CEO Jayant Gaikawad. The luxury train, which is a joint venture between the ministry of railways and the Maharashtra government, carried 1,069 passengers and earned a revenue of Rs 8 crore for the year 2007-08. The train recorded 70% occupancy for the year, said Vijay Chavan, MTDC manager. Tourists from America, Britain and France constituted the main clientele of the train, which is currently booked up to 2010, he added. 

The train takes passengers on a week-long trip to locations like Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Ajanta Ellora and Goa. Running between September and April, the train tariffs are $780 per day for a couple. The train has served as a brand ambassador for Maharashtra tourism, with more tourists visiting the places covered by it, said Mr Chavan. According to Arup Sen, executive director, Cox and Kings, “The train has opened up tourism potential in places such as Sindhudurg and Ganapatipule for the affluent traveller. However, the hospitality industry should set up more hotels in these places to attract tourists.”

Thackeray and the Hindu ‘bomb’

{ June 21, 2008 @ 10:08 am } · { General/Daily affairs, India, Media, People, Personal, Politics/Current Affairs }
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Recently Mr. Bal Thackeray said he was happy with the fact that the recent bomb attacks in Thane and Vashi were the handiwork of hindu religious groups. he further called for the creating of a hindu bomb, since reportedly are by muslim groups.

but mr thackeray should not make such statements, he might have just encouraged certain people in reality to create such ‘bombs’. and it is surprising the maharashtra government is mum on the whole issue. how can someone make such a blanket statement and get away?

Maybe the government is scared of Mr. Thackeray! Shame on them! and then Udhav Thackeray goes a step ahead and says his party workers are more powerful than any bomb! What’s going to happen to Maharashtra?!

What kind of blogs people read?

{ June 19, 2008 @ 12:53 pm } · { General/Daily affairs, India, Media, People, Personal }
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Just pondering over this question from a very long time…what kind of blogs do people actually read? I wrote about Stephen’s quota yesterday and i have hardly had anyone checking the post.

On the other hand the post i wrote last year about a young Mumbai woman being molested in public garnered so much attention, that till today people check the post! Are blogs also going the newspaper way? We choose to read something sensational, revealing, controversial or gossip from tinseltown!

Is the blog post about Abhi-Ash more interesting to read over the Stephen’s quota? Or is it just that quota is a long, old and ‘done with’ news peg? Any pointers people?

Stephen’s College and Quota?

{ June 18, 2008 @ 5:24 am } · { General/Daily affairs, India, Media, People, Personal, Politics/Current Affairs }
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One of the country’s premier educational institution St. Stephen’s College has decided to impose a 50% Christian quota for its students. According to the college since it is a Christian institution it is justfified in imposing this quota.

This decision is goign to come as a blow to students who want to get into the college based on ‘merit. I still don’t get the concept of quotas. I don’t feel the need for them for any particualr community. It just classifies a certain section of people as priviledged and who get into the best colleges even if they have relaly low scores. No wonder students in our country are dillusioned with the educational system in our country. This is one of the primary reasons behind the ‘brain drain’ phenomenon.

No wonder people want to go abroad, study and settle in jobs there itself. After all whichever job or college you go, you can be rest assured you will eb denied an opportunity not because of low grades but because of your ‘caste/religion.’

Chennai Super Kings are still the best!

{ June 16, 2008 @ 6:23 am } · { General/Daily affairs, India, Media, People, Personal, Sports }
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It’s soon going to be a month since the cricket extravaganza IPL has got over. But I am still proud of the losing finalists Chennai Super Kings. They played really well and the game could have gone anywhere in the last over.

I know this post is quite old and should have come earlier. My appologies for the same since i was tied up with work and could not blog earlier.

What I liked most about Dhoni was his spirits even after loosing. Immediatley after the loss Dhoni and his teammates huddled together and he pepped them up by telling them to be proud of themselves. Even after the loss Dhoni was proud of his team and never treated them harshly. Neither did he question them for the loss. Of course one cannot take anythign away from the Rajasthan Royals, they are a brilliant team. But my loyalties lie elsewhere!

Dhoni rocks and so does Chennai Super Kings! I shall continue to support them for rest of the IPL’s!

Aarushi murder case: Slandered in death, unresolved questions

{ May 30, 2008 @ 10:46 am } · { General/Daily affairs, India, Media, People, Personal, Politics/Current Affairs }
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It’s been exactly two weeks since 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar was brutally murdered at her Delhi residence. Yet the poilc ihas not made any substantial breakthrough in the case. The brutality in which the young girl was murdered like her skull was broken open makes us wonder what is happening to our mentality? the police say that Aarushi was found in a compromising position with her maid servant.

The police made a blanket statement without thinking what damage it would do to Aarushi’s reputation. Aarushi was not even an adult at the time of her death. According to Indian laws and guidelines laid by Women & Child Welfare Ministry it is illgeal to make such statements about minors especially girls.

It is all the more horrible to believe that Aarushi’s own father could murder her so brutally. It is unbelievable that the parents slept soundly through the entire duration of their daughter’s murder. The murder weapon is yet to be recovered. Just couple of days after Aarushi’s murder happened, her mother Nupur Talwar appeared on national television. She was pleading her husband’s innocence in the case. It is surprising that she so quickly recovered from her daughter’s murder to appear confidently on national tv and plead for her husband.

I just hope the actual culprit in Aarushi’s murder is arrested soon. Till then Arushi’s soul will not rest in peace.

The impending fuel price hike in India

{ May 27, 2008 @ 2:06 pm } · { Business, General/Daily affairs, India, Media, Politics/Current Affairs }
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due to oil prices touching almost 135$ a barrel and inflation woes the government is planning to increase the price of petrol and diesel by 15-17 rs per lite. my point is the government taxes the fuel companies heavily and earns good profit from them, thanks to the high prices. yet the government is thinking of increasing the fuel price rather than reducing the various excise duties and taxes.

why does the common man have to suffer while the government coffers get filled with money? the governmenn cannot be so selfish. if the prices are hiked, it will be a big blow for the government in elections time. already the congress has lost bangalore elections and if the hike does come into existence it will only go against them in future.

one has to remember petrol price hike will trigger a series of other hikes. our daily spendings will increase. vegetables, groceries, other food products all hike their prices thanks to the expensive transportation. and at the end of the day the household budget and savings go for a toss.

Reality shows on TV: What’s ‘new’ about them?

{ May 18, 2008 @ 4:11 pm } · { India, Media, Personal, entertainment }
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Tune into any Indian entertainment channel and you find dozens of reality shows ranging from Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa, Dhoom Machale, Rock n Roll Family, etc.

The shows are such a big bore at times with the same stars hopping across different TV channels. It is just a platform for the participating stars and judges to make quick bucks. It serves as a good platform for out of work stars who suddenly are flooded with offers after the end of the show.

The orchestrated tears, parents getting angry over the voting system, judges or anchors storming out of the sets are so common. One wonders don’t the people get bored doing the same expressions from time to time.

I wonder how come stars like Tanuja, Kajol and Ajay Devgan are judging a dumb show like Rock n Roll Family. One wonders whether the results are already pre-mediated by the channels, with all this voting just a farce.

When will people understand these reality shows only benefit telecom companies who make money out of the lakhs of sms sent daily?

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