Citygritty 8212; Pune

Sofa so goodBusiness is not what it used to be. And thank God for that! Benzer, the furniture people, started their exchange mela two wee...

Sofa so good
Business is not what it used to be. And thank God for that! Benzer, the furniture people, started their exchange mela two weeks back and decided to use this essential marketing gimmick for a good cause. Owner Nitin Bafna felt that instead of selling the old sofas, they should be donated to charitable institutions like old homes and schools. So while a customer sells his worn sofa to Benzer and buys a new one, Benzer, in turn, repairs and donates it to an institution. So far, seven such sofa sets have been collected and once the mela is over, the sets will go where they are meant to 8211; charity.

Pitchin8217; in
Never mind if India does not perform well at the World Cup. At least the event provides enough grist for the mill. After the numerous World-Cup-related events that have crammed our everyday lives, here8217;s another one, the World Cup Dhamaka, organised by two stores, Park Avenue and Kajari, on Laxmi Road.

Besides putting up a huge screen for cricket fans, the shops have a contest that could win you prizes. Anyone purchasing products worth Rs. 300 and over will be given a coupon with five questions about the next day8217;s match. The ones answering all five correctly are entitled to a free purchase equal to the amount of purchases made by them earlier and also a free shirt. So while our troubled team tries its luck at the World Cup, Puneites can try their luck at this contest.

On the right track
Months ago, Railway Divisional Manager A.K. Verma had stated that he had started a scheme that would effectively keep railway tracks and platforms clean. Taking a cue from this, Poona Round Table Number 15 decided to get into the act. They approached Verma and offered their services. The result 8211; the Pune and Shivajinagar stations got 28 dustbins, with platform numbers 3 and 4 sporting spanking new bogie boards. Says Jitesh Patodia, member, Round Table, 8220;We even put up posters all over the stations and are ever-ready to help the railways in any way we can even in the future.8221;

Seniors advance
Talent does not grow decrepit with age. The Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture MCCIA, with the coordination of the Voluntary Executive Forum of India, is out to prove just that. A Senior Talent Data Bank, containing information on senior citizens who have the ability and willingness to serve society voluntarily or at nominal remuneration, will be compiled and an index made available. Senior citizens who have retired from industries, government or semi-government services can register themselves, at nominal registration and processing charges, on this index which will be updated on an on-going process. 8220;The genesis of the idea,8221; says D.K. Abhyankar, additional secretary general, MCCIA, 8220;is the British Expert Services Organisation.8221; The MCCIA has plans to put the talent bank on the web. A programme to mark the commencement of the project is being held this evening at the MCCIA.