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Rajasthan gets more rain than northeast States this
year
NEW DELHI, August 23, 2010: Monsoonal activity over the Bay of Bengal subdued, northeast faces deficit
In a reversal of roles, the desert State of Rajasthan received more rain
than the green States in the northeast. As per the latest data available with the India Meteorological
Department, Rajasthan received 20 per cent more rainfall than the normal, while Manipur is faced with a whopping deficit of 52 per cent
and Meghalaya, 41 per cent.
Rajasthan rainfall has been most bountiful in the western part, where the Thar desert is
located recorded a rainfall of 71 per cent more than usual. Rainfall in the Jaisalmer district tops the list, with a surplus of 178
per cent — 29.8 cm against the normal 10.7 cm. Barmer district comes
next, with a surplus of 119 per cent (36.5 cm against 16.7cm). It is followed by Bikaner district (plus 87 per cent; 26.4 cm against
14.1 cm), Jalore (plus 85 per cent; 54.2 cm against 29.3 cm), Sri Ganganagar (63 per cent; 23.6 against 14.4 cm), Jodhpur (plus 48 per
cent; 30.5 cm against 20.6 cm), Churu (35 per cent; 30.6 cm against 22.6
cm), Nagaur (34 per cent; 34.7 cm against 25.9 cm), Pali (23 per cent;
36.9 cm against 30.1 cm) and Hanumangarh (4 per cent more).
BJP won more posts than Cong in Rajasthan civic polls
Jaipur, August 21, 2010: The opposition BJP in Rajasthan has won the elections to the posts of 57
municipal chiefs while the ruling Congress has managed to get 49. The
results of the municipal polls were declared on Friday. The elections
for the offices of municipal chiefs and ward members in 126 civic bodies
were held on August 18. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the Congress’s performance was
satisfactory because the party got a higher percentage of votes than it
did last time.
Both the major parties have increased their vote percentage. The
Congress increased its vote share by almost 5 percentage. The BJP got
39.87 per cent compared to 35.5 per cent last time.
Rajasthan agrees to take 26% stake in Barmer refinery: Prasada
New Delhi August 10, 2010 (PTI): The Rajasthan government has agreed to take 26 per cent stake in a
refinery proposed to be set up in the state by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Jitin Prasada said today.
The Rajasthan government has been pressing for a 9-12 million tons refinery at Barmer after Cairn India found 6.5 billion barrels of
reserves that can produce 175,000 barrels per day (8.75 million tons a year) of oil at plateau.
State-owned ONGC, which owns 30 per cent stake in the Cairn's oilfields,
had originally proposed the project but had a change of heart after R S
Sharma took over the company in 2006 and has since then been demanding
fiscal concessions from the state government. "ONGC is in consultation with the Government of Rajasthan on the
feasibility of setting up a commercially viable refinery at Barmer,"
Prasada said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
He said the state government "has indicated to take up 26 per cent stake
in the proposed refinery", a condition an expert group headed by former
Oil Secretary S C Tripathi had laid for making the project viable. The state government is also in consultation with Indian Oil Corporation
and Bharat Petroleum Corporation for possible marketing tie-up for sale of products produced at the refinery, he said.
DMRC to construct Jaipur Metro Rail
Jaipur, August 5, 2010: The DMRC will construct the Standard Gauge Metro Rail in
Jaipur, its first independent project outside the National Capital Region since its inception.
Rajasthan Government has asked the DMRC to construct the Jaipur Metro,
which will ultimately have a 29.9 km corridor, and an agreement to this
effect will be signed by officials of state government and Delhi Metro
tomorrow in Jaipur. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and DMRC Managing Director E Sreedharan would be present on the occasion.
To be built at a cost of Rs 1,250 crore, the Jaipur Metro will have
three corridors and a total of 29 stations, which are expected to be
completed by 2013. This is the first Metro project the DMRC would be constructing outside
the National Capital Region, where it has an existing 125-km network,
though it acts as consultant to Metro projects in Bengaluru, Kochi,
Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Ludhiana. Initially, the DMRC would construct the 9.25 km long Metro corridor
between Mansarover and Chand Pole consisting of eight elevated and one
underground station, DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal said.
Rajasthan receive heavy rains
Jaipur, July 31, 2010 | PTI: Rajasthan was today lashed by heavy rains with Ajmer receiving a maximum
rainfall of 36mm followed by Dabok at 35mm till this morning.Jhalawar received 34mm, while Kota got 22mm of rains, MeT department said.
Banswara got 14mm of rains followed by Sriganganagar and Bundi with 12mm. Mount Abu received 10mm of rains followed by Sawaimadhopur 9mm.
Vanasthali, Dholpur and Bikaner and a few other places of the state received rains.
Rains lash Rajasthan
Jaipur, Jul 27 (PTI) Widespread rains lashed Rajasthan with Dabok
recording a maximum rainfall of 53 mm, according to Meteorological department. Ajmer received 36.2 mm of rains followed by Kota at 27.7 mm.
Barmer got 13 mm of rains, while Jodhpur received 11.1 mm of rainfall
yesterday, they said. Pink city Jaipur recorded 8.5 mm of rainfall. Several other places of the state meanwhile received light shower. Heavy
rains may occur in southern part of the state during the next 1-2 days,
MeT department said.
Water in Pushkar lake after 2yrs
AJMER, July 22, 2010: After years of scanty rainfall, the rain gods finally smiled at
the temple town of Pushkar, and with it on the Pushkar Lake in Rajasthan's Ajmer district that had completely dried two years back.
Overjoyed residents thronged the lake, as water from nearby hills began
to trickle into it on Wednesday. Priests offered special prayers at the ancient lake surrounded by
picturesque Aravalli hills that had turned into a grimy tank of concrete
thanks to scanty rain and depletion of groundwater.
Early morning, local municipal officials were informed that rainfall was
good in the surrounding hills and they went to check the feeder channels
constructed under National Lake Conservation Project. "As we went to the
Kharkheri feeder, we saw a huge flow of water coming towards us," said
an official. The inspecting team climbed out of the channel but the jeep
and a driver were swept away for about 4km. "The flow came in at great
speed and the water kept flowing for two hours," said the official. The lake's condition had been a major disappointment for thousands of
tourists and pilgrims, who gather for a holy dip annually during the
world-famous Pushkar Mela in November. Source: The Times of India
Rajasthan Electronics bags Rs. 300-crore order
CHENNAI, July 20, 2010: Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited
(REIL) has landed a
Rs.300-crore order to power computers in about 10,000 panchayat samities
and panchayats of Rajasthan as part of a gigantic task to introduce e-governance in rural areas.
The order is part-funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE) under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, a major initiative in renewable energy conceived and promoted by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh. The project is expected to be completed in 24 months, according to a
release. A mini ratna, REIL is a profit-making and dividend-paying joint venture
public sector enterprise. While the Central Government holds 51 per cent
equity in the company, the Rajasthan Government holds 49 per cent. The present annual
turnover of the company is Rs.100 crore. The contribution of solar energy
to the turnover is about Rs. 50 crore.
20 children get HIV, Hepatitis C after blood transfusion in Jodhpur
JODHPUR, July 13, 2010: Over 20 children suffering from thalassaemia have tested
positive for HIV and Hepatitis C allegedly after transfusion of infected
blood at a government hospital here, two years after a similar incident
had prompted an inquiry by the Rajasthan government. Terming it a case of negligence, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad
said that the State government was responsible for the incident.
While three children were found infected with HIV in May after they were
tested at the S.N. Medical College, 17 more tested positive for the Hepatitis C virus, the Marwar Thalassaemia Society claimed. Two more
children were infected with Hepatitis B.
Gehlot govt leaves foodgrain for poor rotting in rly station
UDAIPUR, July 9, 2010: At a time when Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan is
struggling to provide foodgrain to thousands of families living below the
poverty line, hundreds of tonnes of wheat and peas continue to rot because of
FCI's apathy.
In yet another case, wheat and peas worth over Rs 5 crore were impounded at
Udaipur's Rana Pratap Railway station in rotten condition on Thursday. These
essential commodities were to be supplied to BPL people under PDS. More than one lakh sacks of FCI wheat and hundreds of sacks of peas belonging to
National Cooperative Consumers Federation for India were left in the open
because there was no space in the FCI godown near the station. An NCCF official,
Jitendra Dubey, who arrived at the station to inspect the rotten consignment had
to flee after angry people chased him. Dubey refused to speak to the media.
"A white fungus-like layer has covered the sacks. The consignment is also
stinking. One hopes the rotten wheat and peas are not distributed to
people..they may spread disease," said Ram Lal Saini, one among the crowd.
Interestingly, a senior FCI official said, "The commodities have not yet rotten.
The huge consignment arrived just four days ago and since then we have been
transporting the sacks... it would take some more time to remove it totally," he
added. A couple of months ago a huge stock of foodgrains dumped outside Jaipur's
FCI godown rotted as the godown was stacked with liquor cases. Source: The Times of India
Monsoon arrives in Rajasthan
Jaipur, July 4, 2010 (PTI): *Delayed by over a fortnight, the South-West monsoon arrived in
some parts of the state as Udaipur and Kota received heavy rains since
last night, met officials said today. With moderate showers, Udaipur received 4.2 cm and Kota 3.2 cm of rainfall. they said.
While Jhalawar recorded the maximum rainfall of 7 mm, Bharatpur received
5mm, followed by Sawaimadhopur and Mount Abu 3mm each. Jaipur and Ajmer received rainfall of 1 mm each.
North-west regions of Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaislamer, Bikaner, Churu and
Sikar are yet to receive the season's first rain spell. Monsoon clouds would be active in other parts of the state in the next
24 hours, a forecast said.
No tax relief on petro products in Rajasthan
JAIPUR, 29, 2010: Rajasthan is one of the few states where the state tax on petroleum
products is on the higher side. At present, petrol and diesel are taxed
at 26% and 18%, respectively in the state. The Rajasthan Petroleum
Dealers Association has been demanding a tax regime at par with the neighbouring states to prevent smuggling and business loss to successive
governments but has not been successful. The state government has been
pointing to revenue loss. Additional chief secretary, finance, C K Mathew, said recently, "We have
not given a thought to it. Our tax structure is higher than Haryana and
Delhi but it is lower than states like Gujarat which is a neighbouring
state," he said.
Rajasthan State Roadways Transport fares increased
JAIPUR, June 28, 2010: Two days after the union government hiked petrol and diesel
prices, the Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation (RSRTC) revised passenger fares in its fleet of buses. The increased fares will
be effective from Monday midnight. Fares will be increased for all categories of RSRTC buses, including the
ordinary, express, semi-deluxe, deluxe and air-conditioned. A Volvo ride from Jaipur to Delhi will now cost Rs 50 more at a fare of
Rs 600, while the newly-begun air-conditioned super-luxury bus ride to
Delhi that used to cost Rs 650 would now cost Rs 700. An RSRTC statement said that despite the hike, fares in the buses would
be less than those in the neighbouring states.
The desert is expanding in Rajasthan due to mining in Aravalli range
JAIPUR, June 23, 2010: The desert is expanding in Rajasthan. And, the hazard of
desertification is threatening the pilgrimage centre of Pushkar the most.
According to a study conducted by multi-disciplinary team of scientists
and practitioners from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and IIT
Kharagpur, various causes for desertification have been found, but experts involved in the study have largely attributed it to the unabated
mining in Aravalli ranges. The experts have found severe destruction of
vegetation during the past, largely due to mining in the ranges.
“Climate change alone is not responsible for desertification in
Rajasthan as human intervention, mainly the mining activity, is adding
to the desertification. Besides, location of the zone along the fringe
of the desert, and its inherent vulnerable nature due to its terrain
characteristics with the Aravallis, are other factors leading to desertification in Budha Pushkar region,’’ said the experts in their
study. The study was taken up with sanctions from the state government,
including endorsement from chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
Monsoon arrival uncertain in Rajasthan
Jaipur, Jun 21, 2010 (PTI): Blistering heat wave conditions prevailing over
the state for the last four days may not end soon as the south-west monsoon's arrival in southern parts of Rajasthan even during the next
week was "uncertain", a Met official said today.SW monsoon used to hit the state anytime after June 18 but due to
unfavourable conditions people would have to wait for the rains, the
official said.
The movement of SW monsoon was stuck for the last two days in both the
country's eastern side in Bihar and western side in Gujarat, causing
delay in rains over Rajasthan. For monsoon activities, a low pressure area needs to be developed either
in the eastern or western region where monsoon clouds were lying, the
official said.
Light rains in Rajasthan monsoon expected by June 21
Jaipur, June 14. 2010 (PTI): Several districts in Rajasthan experienced light
rains overnight giving respite from heat wave conditions even as the
South West Monsoon is likely to reach eastern Rajasthan by Monday. The pre-monsoon activity has started. The average date of monsoon
reaching the state was June 16-17. However, there could be delay in its
arrival by one week in the south-eastern regions of Kota, Jhalawar,
Banswara, and Dungarpur, a Met official said, adding, South West Monsoon
might hit the state by June 20-21.
Drizzle or light rains occurred in
Udaipur, Bikaner, and Sriganganagar, Pilani and Churu districts till this morning, he said.
Pilani recorded a maximum rainfall of 4 mm, and Churu 2.4 mm. An upper air cyclonic circulation with moisture content may cause
precipitation, he said. In Jaipur, which recorded temperature of 42.7 degree C yesterday, the
sky was partly clouded with possibility of rain, the official said.
Rajasthan govt to set up maintenance tribunals for elderly
JAIPUR. June 11, 2010: In a first of its kind step in Rajasthan to ensure the welfare
of senior citizens, the state government on Thursday okayed setting up
of maintenance tribunals at block and district levels to address the
greivances of the elderly on a priority basis. These tribunals will be
established under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
As per the new rules, which were approved by the cabinet on Thursday,
the block level tribunals would be headed by the respective sub-divisional offices. "Any senior citizen or parents who are being
ill-treated by their children may approach the tribunal. The tribunal
will ensure that their grievances are resolved,'' said chief minister
Ashok Gehlot after the cabinet meeting. If a tribunal finds the complaint of a senior citizen against children or relatives as genuine,
it is authorised to order a monthly maintenance amount up to a maximum
of Rs 10,000 per month, to be provided by the accused. This maintenance
includes the provision for proper food, shelter, clothing and medical
treatment. No legal practitioner is permitted to represent either of the
parties.
Gehlot said that if the accused do not pay the money, the tribunal can
sentence them to jail for three months, a fine of Rs 5,000 or both. The
order of the block level tribunal can be challenged at the district appellate tribunals. However, the district level tribunal's order would
stand final and cannot be challenged in any civil courts. A childless senior citizen who is sixty years and above can also claim
maintenance from relatives who are in possession of or are likely to
inherit their property. In case a senior citizen has already willed his
or her property in the name of someone, the tribunal has been given the
power to cancel the transfer of property. The government also gave its
clearance for construction of old-age homes in all districts.
Cyclone Phet causes heavy rains in Rajasthan
New Delhi, June 08, 2010: Rains and strong winds due to Cyclone Phet have hit western
Rajasthan, causing flash floods. Jaisalmer is the most affected as two villages
there have been completely cut off from the rest of the state.
The army has been called in for rescue operations. At least 100 people
have been rescued so far, reports say. The Jodhpur and Jaisalmer highway is also blocked due to the rains.
Worst affected village is Lati near Pokhran, which is completely
inundated under 10 feet water. More than 300 people have been evacuated
and 70 houses have been washed away, reports say. This change in weather is mainly due to Cyclone
Phet, which created a
havoc on the Pakistan coast on Friday.
BJP nominates Jethmalani for RS polls from Rajasthan
New Delhi, Jun 6, 2010 (PTI): Brushing aside reservations from a section of
the party, the BJP today nominated eminent lawyer and former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani from Rajasthan for the Rajya Sabha elections.The announcement made by party President Nitin Gadkari triggered
protests from some BJP supporters in Rajasthan who felt the seat should
not go to an 'outsider'. The name of Rajasthan BJP president Arun Chaturvedi was doing the rounds for the seat.
87-year-old Jethmalani's candidature was supported by L K Advani as also
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, party sources said. Jethmalani has
advised Advani in connection with the Babri Masjid demolition case and
Modi on the 2002 Gujarat riots case. His name was finally cleared by the BJP parliamentary board at its last
meeting but an official announcement was made only today.
Google extends freebies for Rajasthan to boost online sales
JAIPUR, June 2, 2010 (PTI): In an effort to popularise online retail shopping in India,
Google India has decided to extend free support and advertisement offer
for entrepreneurs in Rajasthan on its portal, Google Search. "We will offer free expert support to help entrepreneurs build an online
advertising campaign to grow their business through 'Jump Start'," Google India Head of Online Sales Sridhar Seshadri told reporters here today.
Rajasthan, a popular tourist destination, is a hub of textile and
jewellery exporters and hosts 4 lakh small-scale industries. Google's offer will allow the Small and Medium Scale Industries to
directly work with Google specialists, who will help them to set up their
'Google AdWords accounts' and build a customised ad-campaign to suit their business.
"By extending free support and advertisement offer on Google search in
the state, we want to encourage these business to grow and gain from the
benefits of internet advertising.
Google search allows them to target customers across the world and
ensures that they only pay when their advertisement is clicked on," Seshadri said.
All business with an online presence (website) will be allowed to register their business with Google India AdWords platform and Rs 2,500
worth of free advertising coupons by dialling a toll-free number.
Heat toll increases in Rajasthan
Jaipur, May 29,2010 (PTI): Around a dozen persons died due to heat in several parts of Rajasthan yesterday.
According to police and hospital sources, three persons died each at
Jaipur and Kota, two each in Sawaimadhopur and Karauli, one each in
Ajmer, Baran and Alwar. A middle-aged autorickshaw driver Ramavtar died due to heat stroke near
Gopalpura overbridge yesterday, while another unidentified youth died
near Jorawar Singh gate. So far, around six dozens people have died in the state due to intense heat conditions, they said.
Meanwhile, State Public Health and Engineering Department
issued a
circular directing its engineers and other concerning officials to take
care of labourers, who are engaged in several departmental works,
Rajasthan to dig ponds in water-starved sanctuaries
Jaipur, May 26, 2010 (IANS): Rajasthan Government will construct small dams and ponds in its water-starved
wildlife sanctuaries - a move that could also stop animals from straying
into nearby villages in search of the precious resource. “In the first phase we would spend Rs.410 million (Rs.41
crore) on the
construction of 85 such waterbodies inside Sariska, Ranthambore and Sawai Mansingh sanctuaries,” a senior forest official told
IANS. “In the next phase, all other sanctuaries and parks would be covered
under the scheme. A sum of Rs.3-4 billion (Rs.300-400 crore) is expected
to be incurred on this,” he said. The forest department would identify places where these water bodies are
to be constructed and later the water resource department would construct them, the official said.
The water bodies are expected to be constructed by November. India's desert state boasts of two tiger projects, one bird sanctuary
and 25 wildlife sanctuaries. These protected areas offer great eco-tourism opportunities for both domestic and foreign tourists.
With the rise in mercury levels, several small water reservoirs have
become parched while others are on the brink of drying up. The Keoladeo Bird sanctuary in
Bharatpur, not far from Agra, is also
facing a water crisis which has already taken its toll on the turnout of
the winged migratory visitors.
Israel to work in Rajasthan on water, farming
Jaipur, May 25. 2010 (PTI): Israel is planning to work in Rajasthan in
cooperation with the local authorities on issues like water quality and
agriculture. Ambassador of Israel to India Mark Sofer discussed the issue in detail
with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at a meeting here.
Earlier to the meeting, Sofer told reporters that Israeli mission to
India was planning to initiate works in the desert state to improve quality of water and agriculture, and also wants to set up a centre of
excellence to educate and train farmers on advance technologies and techniques.
"Our main thrust in the first stage will be on water and agriculture
related crucial issues which included purifying and recycling of sewage
water for reuse, salinity, creating new water sources, improve farming
etc.," Sofer said.
Gehlot seeks support for RTE campaign
JAIPUR, May 24, 2010 : Chief minister Ashok Gehlot exhorted people of all sections to
contribute to the success of Right To Education (RTE) campaign by ensuring that no child is left without education in the state.
Gehlot was speaking at a seminar organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Study
Circle on RTE at the Panchayati Raj Institute here on Sunday. "The UPA
had taken many path-breaking decisions and is going to come out with the
right to food security. RTI, NREGS and RTE initiatives would have long-term implications. However, success of any programme depends on the
effective implementation of the schemes and this would be possible only
with the participation of the people from all sections."
Gehlot said education is the single most instrument which could give
justice and provide protection from atrocities. However, the challenge
is to take the message to the villages in which every educated individual will have to make their contributions, he added. Gehlot said
Rajasthan is one of the backward states in the field of education. "Though the state government earlier made efforts during his first term
by opening about 23,000 Rajiv Gandhi schools in the villages, it has to
go a long way in achieving the target of education for all."
Rajasthan to build memorial at Shekhawat's cremation site
JAIPUR, May 19, 2010: The state government has decided to convert the cremation ground at
Vidhyadhar Nagar where the former vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was
consigned to flames as a memorial site. The decision came at a late night meeting on Saturday, after supporters of the
former leader had proposed the construction of a memorial site. Leaders of both
Congress and BJP have given their nod to the decision, following which the
Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) had sanctioned nearly 5,400 square metre for
the construction. A portion of an under-construction park near the Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium had
been marked out for the memorial. While the state is yet to decide on the
landscaping, the woodland could be developed on a major section of the park.
Thousands of people paid their last respects to Bhairon Singh
Shekhawat,
JAIPUR, May 17, 2010: Braving a scorching sun, thousands of people, including senior
politicians, paid their last respects to former Vice-President Bhairon Singh
Shekhawat, whose body was consigned to flames with full state honours at
Vidyadhar Nagar on Sunday. The 86-year-old veteran politician breathed his last
at SMS Hospital in Jaipur on Saturday morning. As the funeral procession started from Shekhawat's Civil Lines residence and
passed through the city, people lined up across the 17km stretch to pay homage to the great son of
Rajasthan. The place where Shekhawat was cremated will be
developed as a memorial in his honour. Slogans like "Bhairon Singh amar
rahe" and "Rajasthan ka ek hi Singh... Bhairon Singh, Bhairon Singh" reverberated throughout the journey.
As a mark of respect, traders kept the shutters down. As the procession passed
through the walled city, women and children offered flowers from the rooftops as
the carriage carrying Shekhawat's body passed below. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam , Vice-President Hamid
Ansari, Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal, Jaswant Singh, Najma Heptullah and former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje also paid
tribute to Shekhawat.
Acting governor of Rajasthan Shivraj
Patil, CM Ashok Gehlot, Union ministers C P Joshi, Namo Naraian Meena and Mahadev Singh Khandela
and NCW chairperson Girija Vyas were also present. The BJP leaders included L K
Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar, Narendra Modi (Gujarat), Raman Singh
(Chhattisgarh), Ramesh Pokhariyal (Uttarakhand) and Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya
Pradesh) were also present.
Central University of Rajasthan new session to start from July 15
AJMER. May 10, 2010: The recently established Central University of Rajasthan
will start its new session from July 15 with eight courses at its temporary campus set up
in Shri Ratanlal Kanwarlal Patni Government PG College at Kishangargh in the district.
The combined entrance tests will be organised on June 19 and 20. The university
has also submitted a proposal to the state government to open a medical college in the district.
The university will conduct entrance tests for MSc in statistics (actuarial),
chemistry and computer science; MSc-Tech in mathematics, computer science and
engineering; MA in English and economics; and MBA with specialisation in
entrepreneurship. In the first phase, the university has start only job-oriented courses. It will
also have an International Centre for Desert Studies' soon.
"Our fee structure is very nominal. It is only Rs 3,600 per semester for MSc and
MA and Rs 8,250 for MBA and MTech. Besides, single girl child scholarship of Rs
2,000 per month will be given by UGC and Rs 1,000 per month scholarship will be
given to first three toppers in each programme," said OSD N V
Thakkar. For the time being, there are only 20 seats in each programme and 5% relaxation
in marks will be provided to SC and ST candidates and 10% to Kashmiri migrants
for deciding minimum eligibility. Thakkar said that the last date of filling the
application is May 27.
High Court asked the state govt to spell out its strategy on water crisis
JAIPUR, May 6, 2010: Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday asked the state government to spell
out its strategy to meet the water crisis in the state. The directive came
during the hearing of a PIL filed by one Poonam Chand Bhandari on April 12.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice M N Bhandari
observed that the issue is a serious one and sought a reply from the government.
The petitioner had claimed that while the state is facing a serious water
crisis, there is no regulation on the use of groundwater. Farm houses, hotels
and multi-stroyed buildings consume uninterrupted round-the-clock groundwater
without any restrictions while there is no mandatory provision for recycling of water.
The common people are at the receiving end while the rich exploit ground water
with out any concern, he said.
According to the petitioner, out of 237 blocks in the state, 207 were in the
dark zones while only 30 blocks have groundwater left. According to the last
survey conducted by the state government in 2008, only 30 water blocks out of
237 in the state are left in safe category, while 164 are under over-exploited
category and 34 are in critical state. Banswara, Sriganganagar and Dungarpur
districts have all the water blocks (8, 7 and 5 blocks respectively) in safe
category. All the water blocks in Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Dausa, Jalore and
Rajsamand are in the over-exploited category. In the state capital, 12 water
blocks out of 13 are over exploited while one is in a critical category.
Patil sworn in as Rajasthan Governor
Jaipur, April 28, 2010(PTI) Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, who has been given
additional charge of Rajasthan following the demise of Prabha Rau, was today
sworn in here. Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla administered the oath of
office to Patil at a simple function in Raj Bhawan. Two minutes silence was observed as a mark of respect to late Governor Rau.The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok
Gehlot, cabinet ministers and other senior state bureaucrats.
Rajasthan Governor Prabha Rau dies after heart attack
New Delhi, April 26, 2010 (PTI) Rajasthan Governor Prabha Rau today died at the AIIMS
here after she was admitted to the hospital following a heart attack.
75- year-old Rau was found in an unconscious condition this morning in the
bathroom of Jodhpur House here and was immediately taken to the hospital, a
state government spokesman said. She died later, he said. Congress President Sonia Gandhi was among the first to visit the hospital.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has rushed to Delhi after hearing the news.
A former president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, Rau had earlier served as Himachal Pradesh Governor. She was shifted to Rajasthan in Janaury this year.
Terrified of panchayat, 5 commit suicide
JAIPUR, April 23, 2010: Terrified by the diktat of a caste
panchayat, a couple along with their
two children and a neighbourhood woman committed suicide by jumping before a
speeding train at Bajna Khurd village in Karauli district on Thursday. A third
child of the couple, who was also part of the suicide pact, survived.
The panchayat had asked the man to pay Rs 50,000 for his alleged extra-marital
relationship with the neighbourhood woman, who also ended life with the family.
Based on the suicide note left behind by the family, the police have registered
a case against the members of the caste panchayat under Section 306 of
IPC, which deals with abetment to suicide. However, none has been arrested so far.
The deceased have been identified as Gajendra alias Gajju Jat (40), wife Heero
Devi (35), son Rohit (6) and daughter Chanchal (9) and a neighbour, Kunwar Devi
(35). Gajendra's eldest daughter Mona (11), who was also part of the suicide
pact, survived. Source: The Times of India
Rajasthan to set up ceramic hub in Neemrana over 1,000 acres
Jaipur April 05, 2010 (PTI) : Rajasthan plans to set up a ceramic hub over 800-1000 acres in
Neemrana, a senior state government official said today. The state industrial development agency, Rajasthan State
Industrial Development & Investment Corporation Ltd (RIICO) is on a look out for an ideal location for the project.
"We are looking for 800-1000 acres for this mega project. We expect to rope in top of the line ceramic industry players for this industrial zone. We have selected Neemrana as it is close to Delhi and NCR which are the major consumption markets of ceramic products," a senior official said.
Rajasthan is the major producer of all required input materials for the ceramic industry. It is the leading producer of minerals like quartz & silica sand, primary & secondary
clays, feldspar, soapstone and wollastanite that are widely used in manufacturing ceramic products. Now that the availability of natural gas in Neemrana-Bhiwadi
industrial zone is being addressed by the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), RIICO has drawn plans to roll out this zone by next year.
Wheat rots as FCI facility stocks liquor
Jaipur, March 30, 2010: Tons of wheat has been rotting outside the Food Corporation of India
(FCI) stores in Jaipur as the facility has been illegally rented out to liquor wholesalers to store their stocks of hooch.A Headlines Today crew came across the huge stock of wheat piled up in the
open making the grains unfit for human consumption. When investigated further, the FCI's dry port were found to be packed with the cartons full of liquor bottles.
The wheat has been lying outside for so long that it has begun to rot. In fact, the gunny bags containing wheat have got so weathered by the sun and
rain that they have split. On the other side, several trucks full of liquor bottles stood outside the dry port waiting to be unloaded. The rotting wheat is part of the central government's quota for
Rajasthan. It has been sent from Punjab. This wheat is meant to be distributed through the public distribution system to below poverty line
(BPL) families. Courtesy: Headlines Today
10 killed in mine accident in Rajasthan
Udaipur, March 26, 2010 (PTI): Ten miners were killed and 30 others injured today when a
soapstone mine caved in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh district. About 50 workers were working in the mine near Parsola, 165 km from here, when a
tunnel collapsed at noon, trapping them. While bodies of 10 workers were found, 30 others were injured. 15 seriously
injured labourers have been admitted to Maharana Bhupal Hospital,
Udaipur.Rescue workers were looking for other trapped workers.
Cairn raises Rajasthan oil estimates
NEW DELHI, March 24, 2010 (ET Bureau): Cairn India has raised crude oil reserves estimates at its Barmer fields in
Rajasthan, leading to a 74% gap between private and government assessments under various nomenclature.
The Indian subsidiary of UK’s Cairn Energy said it now estimates oil reserves at its Barmer fields in the northern state to be as much as 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent, or
BOE. “Discovered resource base increased from 3.7 billion BOE to 4 billion BOE in-place,” said a Cairn statement.
“Prospective resource base is now estimated at 2.5 billion BOE in-place.”
Discovered resources comprise total deliverable petroleum quantities from the start of production to the ceasing of production in a field. Prospective resources are those quantities of petroleum
estimated that can be potentially produced. “The increase in the Rajasthan resource base supports our vision of greater
production potential in the Barmer basin,” said Cairn India CEO Rahul
Dhir. Cairn India shares rose 3.76% to Rs 292.80 on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
28 die as bus falls into river in Rajasthan
Jaipur, March 15, 2010 (IANS): In one of Rajasthan's worst road accidents, 28 people were killed on Monday when a bus packed with students and
staff of a college plunged into a river in Sawai Madhopur district, police said. The disaster left 34 people injured, 14 of them in serious condition.
The accident took place some 50 km from Sawai Madhopur town when the bus, with 62 students and staff of the Mother India Teacher Training College at
Jhalawar, was coming from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.
Most victims were asleep when the bus rolled down from a
bridge, after smashing through the railings, around 3.30 a.m.'The bus fell in the Morel river,' Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said from near the accident site.
Among the first to reach the site were residents of the area. The police and others then joined the rescue operations.
Rajasthan allocates 50% budget to power
Jaipur, March 10, 2010: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday boosted the state’s power sector in his
budget for 2010-11, dedicating more than half the budgetary provision for power
generation and transmission. Gehlot, who also holds the finance portfolio,
announced a surplus budget for the year with an emphasis on social services,
agriculture and rural development.
In a state where power has remained a perennial problem and Gehlot’s primary
concern since he began his second term in December 2008, the CM made his
intentions clear about power security, allocating Rs 12,434 crore (52 per cent)
of the Rs 23,822 crore budget for 2010-11 as compared to 41 per cent in 2009-10
and 2008-09. “With these allocations, the sector will generate 1860 megawatts by
the end of the 11th plan and Rajasthan will be closer to power security, which
is our ultimate goal,” he said, adding that emphasis will be given to
non-conventional power sources like biogas, wind and solar power, while the
state will also draft a new solar policy.
HC asks state to frame noise pollution policy in 3 weeks
JAIPUR, March 04, 2010: A division bench of Rajasthan HC on Wednesday directed the state
government to frame a policy within three weeks to ensure that various
anti-pollution norms are complied with in the state. It also asked the
government to put a check on noise pollution created by commercial activities
like CD shops, roof-top restaurants, discotheques etc in the residential areas of the state.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice M N Bhandari issued
the orders as the actions taken by the government so far were found too formal
and inappropriate to curb noise pollution. The SC in 2005 had laid down various
guidelines regarding use of loudspeakers, music systems in late night parties etc.
Thirteen killed, 33 injured in mishap in Rajasthan
Jaipur, March 2, 2010 (PTI): Thirteen passengers, including six women and a child, were
killed and 33 others injured today when a Rajasthan Roadways bus in which they
were travelling collided head-on with a truck in Tonk district. The injured have been hospitalised in Tonk and Kota hospitals where condition of
20 of them is stated to be critical, police said. The mishap occurred near Deoli in the district, 162 km from Jaipur, in the
afternoon when the bus was on its way from Kota to Jaipur. Victims were rushed to a nearby hospital where eight persons were declared
brought dead while five others succumbed to injuries.
Rajasthan marching ahead: Governor
Jaipur, Feburary 23, 2010 (PTI) Rajasthan Governor Prabha Rau today said revenue collection
in the state till January this year had increased more than 11 per cent as compared to previous fiscal.
In her address to the state assembly on the first day of the budget session, Rau
said Rajasthan had come out of the sick category state and earned Rs 1072.91
crore from Registration and Stamp Duty in this year. In the current fiscal till January 2010, the state government earned a revenue
of Rs 8,180.60 crore which was 11.33 per cent more than the previous fiscal, Rau said.
Due to better financial outlay, the Planning Commission had approved an annual
plan of Rs 17322 crore for Rajasthan and added that with better resources it was
converted in the budget to Rs 18,634.80 crore, she said.With better fiscal management and recoveries, every department under finance
made profit, the governor said.
Vasundhara Raje quits as Leader of Opposition in Raj Assembly
Jaipur, February 22,2010 (PTI): After defying the BJP leadership for nearly five months,
former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today resigned as leader of
Opposition in the state assembly. She submitted her resignation to Speaker Deependra Singh Shekhawat this morning,
BJP whip R S Rathore told reporters here. 56-year-old Raje had refused the then BJP president Rajnath Singh's direction to
step down after she was blamed for the poor showing of the party in the Lok Sabha elections last year.
The BJP had managed to secure only 4 Lok Sabha seats in 2009 elections, a steep
from the 21 they won in the 2004 elections.The Congress tally, on the other
hand, went up from 4 to 20.Adopting an aggressive stand, she had said that other senior leaders should also
be held equally responsible for BJP's poor showing and had accused the party
high command of "humiliating" her. .
Senior Cong leader Chandanmal Baid passes away
JAIPUR, February 21, 2010: Veteran freedom-fighter and former finance minister of Rajasthan
Chandanmal Baid passed away on Saturday. A senior leader of the state in 1950s
and 60s, Baid was not keeping well for some time. An eight-time MLA, he also had
the distinction of being elected to the first state assembly.
Baid was born in SardarShaher in Churu district on October 27, 1922. He became a
minister whenever Congress came to power between 1952 to 2000. He held important
portfolios like PHED, education and transport besides being finance minister
between 1998-2000 during his last stint as a legislator. He was a member of PCC for 45 years and a member of AICC for 35 years. He was
also treasurer of Pradesh Congress Committee and president of Churu District Congress Committee.
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot and PCC president C P Joshi paid their tributes to
the veteran leader at his house. Governor Prabha Rau, condoling the death of
Baid, termed him as a people's leader. While Gehlot described him as a
hardworking and strict party man, Joshi said his death will be a great loss to
the party as he was a torch-bearer for the youth. All official functions scheduled for Saturday and Sunday have been called off.
Baid, who was survived by two sons and two daughters, will be given a state
funeral on Sunday
Rajasthan to roll out all-woman kiosks
JAIPUR, February 19, 2010: Rajasthan government is planning to set up 6000 women-exclusive CSC IT kiosks under the central government's Common Service Centre
(CSC) scheme, a part of National e-governance project. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that the state government has decided to allot IT kiosks only to women under this scheme.“These kiosks will be the front-end for delivering a range of
government services and will cater to around 40,000 villages in the state – at least one CSC in a cluster of
six villages. We have already started 407 kiosks besides identifying 1251 centres for putting up these kiosks,” he said. The scheme envisages economic empowerment of rural women through this Rs 113 crore project based on public-private-partnership model.
We would train rural women before allotting them the kiosk. In this way, we would be generating around 20000 (3 women at each kiosk)
jobs for rural women," says a IT department official. CSC kiosks are an extension to the
e-mitra projects which is running successfully across the state.
The emitra CSC kiosks would provide services including deposition of utility bills and government levies, birth and death registrations, land and revenue records, financial services like banking services,
insurance and investment services besides providing Public Information Service like new government schemes and examination results to the rural customers. Source: The Economic Times
Rajasthan ministers told to declare assets every year
JAIPUR, February 18, 2010: Starting from this year, the cabinet ministers of the state will have to
declare their assets and liabilities to the chief minister annually. A decision
to this effect was taken at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Talking to media persons, chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the decision was in
line with the code of conduct for union ministers. The union ministers have to
declare their assets and liabilities to the Prime Minister every year.
"Similarly, the cabinet ministers in the state too will now have to submit their
annual account of assets and liabilities by August 31 every year," he said.
However, the MLAs are exempted. The cabinet also approved the governor’s address for the forthcoming budget
session of the assembly which begins on February 22. It also decided to distribute Rs 797.57 crore given by the Centre as input
subsidy to the drought-hit farmers. The small and marginal farmers will get Rs
2,000 per hectare to compensate their crop loss. Source: The Times of India
HC notice on plea seeking polythene ban
JAIPUR, February 16, 2010: Rajasthan High Court on Monday issued a notice to the state government on a PIL seeking a ban on the use,
manufacture and sale of polythene in the state. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice Munishwarnath
Bhandari issued the notice following a petition filed by an Ajmer-based NGO, Common Cause Society, who claimed that polythene is the biggest
pollutant in tourist places, including protected monuments. The petitioner requested a ban on the use and sale of non-recycleable polythene as well
as coloured polythene. The bio-diversity of places like Ajmer and Pushkar have been adversely affected due to polythene bags, they said. Source: The Times of India
Five killed in road mishap in Rajasthan
Jaipur, February 15, 2010 (PTI): Three women constables were among the five persons killed
when a bus in which they were travelling collided with a container at Palana
village near Bikaner. Twenty-one persons were also injured in the late last night's accident, police
said today. The deceased were identified as Kulsuma Pathan, Sharda Vishnoi, Paramjeet Kaur,
Shinakht Hussain and Jogiram, they said, adding the injured were rushed to the
PBM government hospital in Bikaner. The bus was returning from a fair to
Bikaner when the mishap occurred, the police said.
Ashok Gehlot directs for stern action against mining mafia
Jaipur, February 13, 2010 (PTI)
Amid reports of illegal mining at the Aravalli hills, Rajasthan
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today directed officials to take stern
action against mining mafia in the state to curb the practice.
Chairing a high-level review meeting, Gehlot asked officials to make
amendments in the rules, if necessary, for the purpose, according to
an official release.Special Operations Group (SOG) and police force
should be made responsible for prevention of illegal mining, he told
the officials while asking them to prepare a strategic plan to stop
illegal mining in the Aravalli area. The chief minister also
ordered to constitute a task force headed by Chief Secretary T
Srinivasan to control the menace. Principal Secretaries - Home,
Mines, Environment, Forest, and Law, and DG- Rajasthan Police will be its members.
Rajasthan has earmarked 3% budget on e-governance: Minister
Jaipur, February 12, 2010 (PTI) : Rajasthan's higher education and power minister, Jitendra Singh today
said the state government has earmarked three per cent budgetary support
amounting to Rs17,500 towards e-governance in all state departments.
The day is not far away when Rajasthan would become another silicon valley after
Bangalore as special economic zone emerged a potential platform for IT investors, Singh told media persons here.
Rajasthan has become the first state to have Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra with touch
screen machines in every panchayat with an investment of Rs10 lakh each, he
said.Besides, power corporations' work, billing and related information have been
computerised for customers at a cost of Rs450 crores, the minister said.
A two-day national meet on "E-governance from citizens' perspectives agenda"
will be held here from February 18 in which IT ministers of all states would take part, Singh said.
India's 18th N-plant begins commercial operations
Mumbai, February 7, 2010 (PTI): India's 18th nuclear power plant at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan
has begun commercial operations, the Nuclear Power Corporation (NPCIL) announced today.The indigenously built 220 MW unit of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS)
is using fuel imported from Russia which was acquired after India got a waiver
from the Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines in September 2008. Of the 2,000 tonnes of fuel procured from Russia, about 120 tonnes has been
earmarked for RAPS-5. RAPS-5 was synchronised to the Northern Grid on December 22 last year and began
commercial operation from February 4, 2010, a NPCIL release said. The operationalisation of RAPS-5 increases the installed nuclear power capacity
at the NPCIL's Rawatbhata site to 960 MW. The project, set up in September 2002, took six years to complete. It remained
idle for some months because of lack of fuel.
Rajasthan Assembly session to begin February 22
Jaipur, February 5, 2010 (PTI) Rajasthan Legislative Assembly's budget session will begin
here on February 22, its chief whip Virendra Beniwal said today. The session would begin with the Governor's address.
The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) would meet on the opening session and
decide the number of sittings and work agenda, Beniwal said. The date of budget presentation for the year 2010-11 would also be decided in
the BAC meet, he said.
Anger in Jodhpur over Padma Shri to Saif Ali Khan
JODHPUR, January 27, 2010: Anger simmers in Jodhpur region where the Bishnoi
community and the wildlife activists are agitated over the Padma Shri given to actor Saif Ali Khan, who is an accused along with Salman Khan in a case
involving killing of black bucks here. The infamous killing of black bucks took place 1998 in Jodhpur and the case is still under trial. The wildlife activists in the region, who are irked over the felicitation' of Khan, are planning to shot off a letter to the Union government against the decision.
Terming the development as an insult to the award itself, activists of Community for Wildlife and Rural Development (COWRD) and Bishnoi Tiger Vanyajeev Evam Paryavaran Sansthan
(BTVPS) said they will soon to write to the President and the Prime Minister protesting against the decision.
Prabha Rau takes oath as Rajasthan Governor
Jaipur, January 25, 2010 (PTI): Prabha Rau on Monday took oath as the Governor of Rajasthan here.
The Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court Justice Jagdish Bhalla administered
the oath of office and constitution to 74-year-old Ms. Rau, who was till now
holding the additional charge of the state, at Raj Bhavan. Ms. Rau was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999 from Wardha constituency in
Maharashtra. She was also former president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.
Among those present during the swearing-in ceremony included Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot, BJP leader Vasundhara Raje, Union Minister for Transport Mahaveer
Singh Khandela and Assembly Speaker Dipendra Singh Shekhawat.
Jaipur hosts Asia's biggest literary festival
Jaipur, January 22, 2010
(ANI): Over 190 writers from 30 countries have gathered here for
a five-day literary festival. The festival is being held at Diggi Palace, a sprawling 19th century
mansion. The festival which is considered as Asia's biggest literary festival and
promises to be packed with readings, discussions and debate, besides musical
performances. Many first-time author-attendees have said they are enjoying the experience.Now in its fifth year, the event will see literati rubbing shoulders with glitterati.
Some of the writers participating include Alexander McCall Smith, Mahasweta
Devi, Wole Soyinka, Devdutt Patnaik, Roberto Calasso, Vikram Chandra, Hanif
Kureishi and Louis de Bernihres. Bollywood actors Rahul Bose and Om
Puri, and Shabana Azmi, poet and author Gulzarand British filmmaker
Stephen Frears are among the other attending. Many authors agreed that the Jaipur Literature Festival is a unique meeting
place for writers across countries, cultures and languages. Last year, the festival played host to more than 100 writers and attracted 20,000 visitors.
Rajasthan Panchayat polls: Turnout 60 per cent
Jaipur, January 21, 2010 (PTI): Amid stray violence, an estimated 60 per cent voters today
exercised their franchise for the first phase of three-stage Panchayati Raj
polls in Rajasthan held under tight security. The voting, which witnessed a few incidents of tampering of EVMs and booth
capturing, was held to elect 390 members of Zila Parishad and 1,915 members of
Panchayat Samitis.Close to 60 per cent out of 1.12 crore electorate cast votes in the first round
which saw the use of EVMs for the first time in Panchayat elections in
Rajasthan, state Election Commissioner A K Pandey said. Some persons captured two polling booths and ran away with EVMs at Rawal village
in Sawaimadhopur district, police said. Police burst teargas shells and used batons to disperse supporters of rival
candidates who were protesting against the disruption of the poll process.
Clinton Foundation inks pact with Rajasthan govt for solar parks
JAIPUR, January 20, 2010: The Clinton Climate Initiative
(CCI), a programme of US-based William J Clinton Foundation, has joined hands with
Rajasthan government to set up solar parks in the state. Each solar park will serve as a concentrated zone of solar development in Rajasthan and willincluded 3000 to 5000 Megawatts of solar generation as well as manufacturing over a period of time.
“CCI will provide technical and other support to develop these parks. The project envisages an integrated solar city wherein all the raw materials including glass and panels will be produced by them, bringing down the cost substantially. We are expecting to attract an investment of over Rs 50,000 crore from these
project in next five years,” said a senior government official. The state government has identified Badi Sid & Kansingh Ki Sid in Jodhpur and Bhadla in Jaisalmer for developing these parks.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that the agreement signed between State Government and Clinton Foundation would help the state to receive more benefits of Jawahar Lal Nehru National Solar
Mission.“Rajasthan would be able to become leading state of the country in electricity generation from solar power in the coming years,” he said. Source: The Economic Times
Project related to Brahmos to come up near Pilani
Jaipur, January 18, 2010 (PTI): A project related to the Brahmos cruise missile will be set
up near Pilani in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs 200 crore, an official spokesman said today.Defence Research and
Development Organisation Chief Controller-Research Dr A Shivthnau Pillai today met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and thanked the
government for allocating 80 hectares of land for the project, the spokesman
said. About 150 experts would be employed for this project, Pillai apprised the CM.Presenting a model of the missile to the chief minister, the DRDO official said
that at present the missile was being assembled at Hyderabad. DRDO had asked the state government to provide land for the project which was
approved and sanctioned by Gehlot without delay, the spokesman said.
Mathur Commission winds up, all three members quit
Jaipur, January 14 (PTI) All the three members of the Mathur Commission, whose
constitution by the Ashok Gehlot government to probe allegations of corruption
during the Vasundhara Raje regime was declared illegal by the Rajasthan High
Court, today tendered their resignations. Justice (Retd) N N Mathur, who headed the Commission, former state Chief
Secretary Inderjeet Khanna and former IPS officer H N Meena, had sent-in their
resignations to the Rajasthan Chief Minister, official sources said.
The Commission was set up by the Gehlot-led Congress government soon after
assuming power in January last year.The Congress in its election manifesto had levelled allegations of corruption,
involving Rs 22,000 crore, during the previous Raje-led BJP regime, and the
Commission was set up to probe these charges.
Cold and fog paralyse normal life in Rajasthan
Jaipur, January 11, 2009 (PTI) : Cold conditions and dense fog affected normal life in
Rajasthan today with Bikaner being the coldest place with a minimum temperature
of 0.8 degrees Celsius. Mercury further dipped in the capital to settle at 2.2 deg C, while Sikar and
Phalodi had at a low of 2.5 and 3 degree Celsius respectively, a Met official
said here. Dholpur recorded a low of 3.8 deg C followed by Churu at 4 deg C. Jaisalmer had
a minimum of 4.8 deg C, while Pilani had a low at 4.9 deg C.Ganganagar recorded
a minimum temperature of 5.8 deg C. Bharatpur and Barmer had an identical low of 6 deg C, while Dabok had a minimum
of 7.7 deg C. Ajmer recorded 7.9 deg C followed by Jhalawar 8 deg C. Kota and
Jodhpur recorded a minimum of 8.3 deg C and 9.2 deg C respectively.
Rajasthan amends APMC Act to start private e market
JAIPUR, January 8, 2010: Rajasthan has amended its Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee
(APMC) Act to allow private sub e market to operate in all the 125 mandis of the state. Rajasthan Agriculture
Marketing Board director G P Shukla told ET that the board has given trading licenses to National Spot Exchange and NCDEX SPOT for online trading in the state for 5 years.
Mount Abu coldest with minus 1 degree C in Rajasthan
Jaipur, January 6, 2010 (PTI) Parts of Rajasthan continued to reel under intense cold with
Mount Abu being the coldest place in the state with a low of minus one degrees Celsius, a Met official said today.
Cold conditions affected normal life in cities of Rajasthan with Dholpur
recording a low of 3.8 deg C, Ganganagar at 5.1 deg C. Pilani had a low of 5.5
deg C, while Sikar recorded a minimum of 6 deg C. Jaipur had a minimum of 6.8
degree Celsius. Ajmer recorded a low of 7.6 deg C followed by Bikaner at 7.7 deg C. Jodhpur
recorded a low of 7.8 deg C. Phalodi recorded a low of 8.5 deg C, Kota (9.2), Churu (9.3), Barmer (9.7) and
Jaisalmer (10.8). There would be slight rise in night temperature during the next few days,
according to the Met forecast.
Bikaner camel race fascinates tourists
Bikaner, January 3, 2010 (PTI): A camel race organised in Bikaner on Friday as a part of the
three-day- long annual camel festival attracted thousands of foreign tourists.The festival began on Wednesday
(December 30) at the Karni stadium named after Maharaja Karni Singh, an ace sportsman and champion marksman of the Bikaner
royalty. This year's camel festival happened to be the 17th edition that the Rajasthan
Tourism department had organised in collaboration with the Bikaner district
administration. Locals, including foreign tourists cheered as they witnessed the camel race.
Camel race is very exciting, said Li Xao, a tourist from China. "Camel race is very exciting. It is for the first time I have come to India,
first time in Bikaner. So exciting for me. People in Bikaner are very nice," Xao
said. Tourists were amazed to see the intense competition. "The jockeys they are really intense they are so focused on keeping the camels
straight and keeping the race as exciting as it could be. It is amazing. I loved
every second of it," said Francois Leblanc, a tourist from France.
Meena should refrain from disturbing peace in Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot
Jaipur, January 2, 2010 (PTI): Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot today said it was the Congress government
which registered a case against former IPS officer Madhukar Tandon in the alleged rape of a tribal woman 12 years ago.
Criticising MP Kirori Lal Meena, he said his frequent protests have disturbed
the peace in the state. "IPS Madhukar Tandon had committed the crime in Shekhawat regime, the Congress
not only registered the case against Tandon but also chargesheeted and dismissed
him. But there was no action ensured during previous Raje regime where Kirori
was a minister", Gehlot said, adding, "I do not under stand what kind of
politics he (Meena) is doing now". Gehlot also criticised Meena's "behaviour" after his released from the jail
yesterday.
"After a day-long agitation and dharna by Kirorilal and his supporters, he was
released from Ajmer jail unconditionally," Gehlot told reporters here."He is an elected representative and should not sit or block highways and rail tracks with his supporters...
there are other ways to protest," Gehlot said.
Four killed, 25 injured in road mishap in Rajasthan
Jaipur, January 01, 2010 (PTI): Four persons were killed on the spot and 25 others injured
when a private bus in which they were travelling overturned at Rajasthan's Udaipur district, police said here today.
The incident happened yesterday at Eklingpura-Madari industrial area on the
national highway near Udaipur city, about 402 km from here, they said, adding
that the victims were en route to Pushkar in Ajmer district. The Injured were rushed to a nearby private hospital, they said. |
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