Operators mull online ticketing after cold response to hot air balloon rides in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): Looking at the lukewarm response to the recently launched hot air balloon rides in Delhi, the organisers are now planning to set up an online ticket booking system to boost sales.
Since its public opening almost a month ago on November 29, the tethered hot air balloon rides at the Baansera Park near Sarai Kale Khan have seen a sluggish response from Delhiites.
“Only those visiting the Baanseera Park are buying tickets. People are not coming especially for the rides. Since the launch, we have operated for 1-2 hours each Saturday and Sunday,” Mukesh Yadav, associate vice-president of Rajas Aerosports and Adventures, the company conducting the rides, told PTI.
“We plan to set up an online ticketing system soon to increase awareness and convenience for people wanting to take the rides,” he said.
Adding another recreational activity to the city's landscape, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) launched the hot air balloon rides for the public at the Baansera Park on November 29.
There was no response from the DDA to queries raised on the poor response.
The private organisers said that since the launch, the rides were conducted on only three weekends, from 4 pm to 6 pm.
“On each weekend, 20 tickets were sold on average,” Yadav said. To attract more customers, the organisers have also slashed the ticket price to Rs 2,300 per person from the Rs 3,000 planned initially.
“The rides are organised till the last light of the day, which is around 6 pm currently,” Yadav said.
A single trip ranges from 7 to 12 minutes, with each ride having a holding capacity of four people.
In July, the DDA finalised the private agency to conduct these activities at four locations – the Yamuna Sports Complex, the Commonwealth Games sports complexes, and two other sites along the Yamuna at Asita and Baansera.
However, the expansion plans, beyond Baansera, are on hold till the pilot is successful. The peak season for balloon rides in north India is from November to February, which offers ideal weather conditions.
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Gujarat to amend marriage registration rules, cites 'misuse' of existing norms
Gandhinagar (PTI): The Gujarat government on Friday announced it plans to amend rules framed under the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, saying the move is aimed at plugging loopholes in the existing system.
Speaking in the assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi stressed the need for new norms, alleging that “innocent girls are being trapped” and such practices were spreading “like termites” in society.
He said several people and social organisations had urged the government to amend the marriage registration rules to prevent misuse of procedural gaps.
Referring to what he termed “love jihad”, Sanghavi said it amounted to a “cultural invasion” and asserted that the BJP government could no longer ignore the issue. He said the amendments are aimed at strengthening safeguards in the registration process.
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He said objections and suggestions on the proposed amendments are now invited from the public for 30 days.
“People and organisations can register their suggestions and objections on the Health and Family Welfare Department’s website. The new rules will be implemented after considering these suggestions and objections received by the department,” he said.
Later, the minister’s office shared a document detailing the proposed procedure for marriage registration under the amended rules.
As per the proposed rules, every marriage registration application will need to be submitted before the Assistant Registrar, while applicants must attach a declaration stating whether the bride and groom have informed their parents about the marriage.
Moreover, the bride and groom will have to provide the names, addresses, Aadhaar and contact details of their parents in the application.
The parents of the bride and groom will be informed within ten working days as soon as the Assistant Registrar is satisfied, according to the proposed rules.
The Assistant Registrar will forward the application to the Registrar of the district or taluka concerned. The marriage will be registered 30 days after the Registrar is satisfied that the requirements specified in sub-rules have been met.
The Registrar will upload all these details to an online portal to be created by the government, say the proposed rules.
AAP MLA Hemant Ahir, who had on Thursday introduced a private member's Bill in this regard, and BJP MLA Lavingji Thakor congratulated the deputy CM in the House, saying the proposed changes were the need of the hour.
They said innocent girls were being lured by anti-social elements who exploited loopholes in the existing system to solemnise and register marriages.
