Panchkula to get 8 new banquet halls for weddings, other celebrations
These are expected to be ready by the end of this year.
Making the announcement Sunday, mayor Kulbhushan Goyal said this will significantly reduce the financial burden on residents, and also ensure that the revenue remains within Haryana.
He said the new banquet halls are coming up in sectors 12, 20, 21, 25, 26, MDC Sector 5, and a few villages, namely Alipur, Nangal, Sukhdarshanpur, and Toka. Each hall will be able to accommodate about 700 people and will include special rooms for the bride and groom, along with a modern kitchen and pantry areas.
At present, except for the Red Bishop, Panchkula lacks large banquet halls. Residents are forced to book expensive venues in Zirakpur and Dera Bassi, which costs them anything between Rs 5-Rs10 lakh per event, excluding tent, decoration, and catering charges. The mayor emphasised that such events also lead to loss of revenue for Haryana as the funds go to Punjab.
Goyal said, "The Sector 15 community centre has already been rebuilt and is hosting events. Construction is also ongoing at the Sector 10 community centre, with facilities for 600 guests, besides sports areas, and additional rooms. Though the construction of the Sector 7 community centre remains stalled, it is expected to resume soon."
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Time of India
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Discipline in markets is one of the most underrated, yet powerful, tools for successful having a financial adviser as a sounding board for irrational in portfolio values, uncertainty and lack of increased exposure to gold, bonds and equities, where we found gaps in asset allocation, or where monies were waiting on the sidelines for deployment in the like these aren't rare. As market volatility has tested investor nerves, financial planners have quietly played the role of steady navigators—booking profits, tweaking asset mixes and, most importantly, stopping panic in its August 2024 and June 2025, the Sensex swung nearly 14,500 points. Bond yields seesawed (but largely fell), and midcap and small-cap stocks corrected. For the average investor, it was a nerve-wracking ride. However, those with experienced financial planners by their side found ways to not just survive, but spoke to several such advisers to understand how smart strategy and steady counsel had made all the 2023, when small-cap equity funds were all the rage with investors, with net inflows worth Rs.41,035 crore, Gurugram-based financial adviser Ashish Chadha sent out a note to his investors to go slow on Director of Chadha Investment Consultant, had stopped recommending them small-cap funds back then. He had even dissuaded them from fresh systematic investment plans (SIP) and, instead, channelled their savings to government securities and gold funds.'The year 2023 was bad for business,' says Chadha, referring to the contrarian call, when everyone wanted a piece of equities as the S&P BSE Sensex went up by 20% that Ladder7 Financial Advisories40% in equity; 35% debt; 15% hybrid/multi-asset funds; 10% gold and with your monthly investments in spite of turbulence in the markets.I have always followed strategic asset allocation; never invested tactically to take advantage of the advice to invest in gold and witnessed an impressive influx of more than Rs.41,000 crore, small-cap funds posted more inflows than outflows that the time, Chadha's only recommendation in equity was large-cap funds and Nifty Next50 index passive funds. A year later, his investors not just recovered losses, but made a smart profit as well. 'Typically, a 60% allocation in equities is ideal. Going slow in mid caps and equities in 2023 and much of 2024 helped our clients' allocation to equities come back to around 60%,' says ongoing SIPs aside, investors and advisers also look for opportune moments to step up their investments. This is not market timing, but the point where, after a persistent fall in the markets, it seems reasonably safe to put in a small lump sum. On 4 March, when the Sensex hit a low of 72,989 points, smart advisers saw little downside from thereon and nudged investors to step up their equity often panic when the market falls. However, they need to remember that it recovers as Director & Chief Executive Officer, Etica WealthInvesting in a PSU fund in August 2020. My four-year SIP return: 56% (compounded).I just show them my family's portfolio. We either swim together or sink problem is most investors don't even follow 'Plan A' properly. Brian Feroldi, a US based wealth professional, once said, 'The best investment plan for you isn't based on some formula. It's the one you'll actually stick with when markets are crashing.'Goal-based investing discussions. Let's try and solve the real money problem of our investors. I'm not interested in market Kothari, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Etica Wealth, a Mumbai-based distribution firm, advised his clients to resume lump-sum investments in equities that day and continued reinforcing his message throughout the week.'We invest a lot via SIPs. So most of my clients have been investing regularly, but many don't do it through SIPs. We dug into our database and found those who don't, and reached out to convince them that it was a good time to get back in,' says adds that his firm deployed nearly Rs.10 crore that week between fresh inflows, additional lump-sum top-ups and switches from liquid funds. Of this, Rs.2.26 crore came through fresh purchases and Rs.5 crore via 234 additional purchase Dilshad Billimoria, Managing Director and Chief Financial Planner at Dilzer Consultants, a Sebi-registered investment advisory firm, increased the time period of her clients' systematic transfer plans (STP), in 2024, as equity markets were going up. The STP facility helps transfer money from liquid or short-term debt funds to equity mutual funds. It helps investors with a lump sum in hand to deploy money steadily into equities. 'If somebody had an STP program of 12 weeks, we increased it to 20,' she says. Billimoria's firm also dug deep into the clients' portfolios to identify non-performers and took advantage of the rising markets to if your SIPs are on, there are special situations that may require deft handling. If these come up amidst market mayhem and global uncertainty, it could cloud your judgement. Here's where a guiding hand is reassuring. Suresh Sadagopan, Founder of Ladder7 Financial Advisories, tells us about a client who was a senior executive in her company, but was constantly stretched financially on account of multiple loans and high cost of her children's education. In February, at the height of the US trade tariff uncertainty, Sadagopan realised that she had a lot of employee stock options from her US-based company that were lying in a US-based depository account. Sadagopan said that the company itself wasn't in a great shape. 'We sold a small portion of her US shares to close some of her loans. We retired quite a few of her loans so that a larger portion of her regular salary here could be directed towards savings,' says Chadha Investment ConsultantNot watching social media and TV as it messes up your asset Sindoor and the Israel-Iran risk. If price is cheap, it turns portfolios over a third whiskey at a another instance, according to Sadagopan, a client who retired in November 2024 got a large sum as retiral benefit, including the provident fund and gratuity. Equity markets had already started to fall by then; the Sensex had fallen by 8% between the peak of September and November-end. While regular income needs were to be met from debt investments, Sadagopan had to ensure longevity of the corpus by investing a chunk in equities. A large lump sum (part of retiral benefits) is usually invested through STPs. The question was by what he says, his firm initiated STPs of 20-24 weeks, instead of the usual 10-12 weeks. 'It worked out quite well. The STPs were started when equity markets were at relatively lower points. We also put some money in gold and silver assets.'If you have invested wisely and are continuing with your SIPs, what does a financial adviser bring to the table?Most advisers we spoke to said that they didn't need to do anything with a majority of their clients. Sadagopan adds that none of his clients asked him to stop the SIPs. He says that volatile periods like the one prevalent since September 2024 don't really call for significant action because 'we generally build a high margin of safety when we make financial plans'. Besides, it's a fact that what goes down, eventually comes up (see table).CEO, Germinate Investor ServicesThese are extremely important and relevant. Just beware of the position and starting to invest able to afford what you want to do with your time and yourself. Everything else transcends a sharp correction, say, 10% or more, within a short period of time.'Knowing that their basics are covered helps clients stay invested with more confidence,' says Rohit Shah, Founder & CEO, GYR Financial Planners. In the past 10 months, Shah says none of his clients have stopped their SIPs, even as volatility has surged. Sometimes, however, volatility provides tactical opportunities. Shah recollects a client for whom he had already planned, sometime last year, to deploy money in mid-cap funds once valuations became attractive, over six months. But when mid- and small-cap indices dropped sharply in late 2024, Shah reached out with a suggestion: 'Let's prepone the next few instalments.'Money was already parked in liquid funds and an STP was on. 'Based on our analysis, that segment was offering good value,' he recalls. The client agreed, and they redeployed the capital at a lower NAV (net asset value).Founder & CEO, Getting You Rich Financial PlannersFaith in the future, patience with results, and disciplined investing.A behaviour firefighter, stepping in to manage emotions and guide decisions.'Love' that a family holds for generations to a market correction that'll last throughout 2025 due to Operation Sindoor and US President Donald Trump's you're in the accumulation phase, what happens in the next six months won't matter.
