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JAIPUR, December 14, 2011: The peacocks in the state may soon be on the verge of
extinction. Almost 10 peacocks are being poached every day in some part
of the state. Even on Tuesday, over 12 peacocks were found dead while
two others injured in a village near Pushkar. The animal rights activists have raised a serious concern over
dwindling population of the National Bird in the state. Some organizations have recently written to chief minister Ashok Gehlot requesting him to look into the cases of peacock poaching in the state.
Two days ago, nine peacocks were found dead in Bundi district. As per
the reports, over 300 peacocks have been poached in the district in the
past one year. Activists say that in November alone, 250 peacocks were
poached in 20 incidents of poaching in several districts including
Bikaner, Nagaur, Sikar, Chittorgarh and Bundi while a survey was conducted by them.
People for Animals' Rajasthan in-charge Babulal Jaju says that in the
survey conducted by the organization, some districts including Churu,
Jhunjhunu, Ajmer, Bharatpur, Bhilwara and Chittorgarh have turned out to
be most vulnerable in terms of poaching. Peacocks face maximum threat in
three dozen villages in 14 districts of this desert state. "It is alarming how poachers are getting away with the killing of the
National Bird. As the peacocks are protected under Schedule-I of the
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, it should be hard to get bail for an accused. But due to weak case by the prosecution, most are let off,"
claimed Jaju adding that the conviction rate in the peacock poaching
cases in alarmingly low in the state. As per the law, the poacher can be subjected to a maximum imprisonment
of 7 years and fine of Rs 50,000 - Rs 5 lakh or both for hunting animals
and birds specified on Schedule I. Source: Times of India
FIR against Vasundra Raje, son for Dholpur land grab
Jaipur, December 11, 2011: Following a court order, the Jaipur police on Saturday
registered an FIR against former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and her MP son
Dushyant Singh for usurping 22 bighas of pasture land in Dholpur in 2005-06. Raje
is accused of misusing her powers as the then CM against the tenancy law.
In response to a complaint by Jaipur advocate Srijana Shrestha and Sikar
journalist Babu Lal against the mother-son duo and seven officials, additional chief judicial magistrate Ravi Bala Singh had on Friday
directed the Ashok Nagar police to inquire into the complaint.
The seven state government officials include the then principal
secretary (law), principal secretary (revenue), divisional commissioner,
district collector, sub-divisional officer (SDO) and a tehsildar. The
case has been registered under 15 Sections - including 420, 467, 468,
471 - of the IPC. Ashok Nagar SHO Aas Mohammad said he had registered the FIR and referredthe complaint to the CID (crime branch) since an SHO is not
empowered to investigate elected representatives. Raje is the leader of the
Opposition in the state assembly while Dushyant is a MP from
Jhalawar. Source: India Today
Gold Sukh fraud case: Rajasthan Police under scanner
Jaipur, December 1, 2011: The Rajasthan Police is under the scanner in the Gold
Sukh fraud case in which over 1.75 lakh investors were duped of Rs. 200
crore. The company, Gold Sukh, that operated out of Jaipur had promised
a 150 per cent increase in investments in 18 months. Though there are no clear estimates, it is believed that over Rs. 200
crore has been swindled. The company ran its fraud in 27 cities across
the country. The four directors of this company have vanished. Sources
say they fled abroad after transferring crores out of the country
through the hawala route. Several investors, on the other hand, have gone bankrupt. Gold Sukh promised its investors unrealistic returns of upto 150 per
cent increase in money, which they promised to invest in gold But the Rajasthan police, despite investigations over the past one year
by the Economic Offences Wing, the Crime Branch and 7 FIRs in the matter, refused to react or take action against Gold
Sukh. Questions are now being raised weather was this negligence or a
deliberate omission on their part? Not just police investigations, a special report into Gold Sukh's tall
claims by the Economic Offences Wing was also ignored. Finally three months ago, the crime branch wrote to district police officers asking
them to investigate and take action against Gold Sukh. This too was never followed up and the police admits it goofed up.
Seven killed, 25 injured in bus-truck collision
Bikaner, November 28, 2011 (PTI): Seven persons were killed and 25 seriously injured when a bus collided head on with a
truck in the district on Monday. The private bus was on its way to Jaisalmer from here when the accident
occurred near Nal airport on Bikaner-Jaisalmer highway.The victims were rushed to PBM government hospital where six persons,
including a girl, were declared brought dead while one died during treatment, Gangashahar SHO Ranjit Singh said.
The injured are in critical condition.
Jaipur company dupes 1.75 lakh people of over
Rs. 200 crore
Jaipur, November 25, 2011: A company called Gold Sukh has allegedly swindled over 1.75
lakh investors of crores of rupees and shut shop all of a sudden. The
company that operated out of Jaipur had promised a 150 per cent increase
in investments in 18 months. Though there are no clear estimates, it is believed that over Rs. 200
crore has been swindled. The company ran its fraud in 27 cities across
the country. The four directors of this company have vanished. "They used to say give us Rs. 23,000 and We will give you Rs. 23 lakh in
two years. But when I came here I found nobody and the place was locked," said one angry investor.
"I never went to Gold Sukh. They came to our home and told us to invest.
I had invested money for my daughter's wedding and they assured me nothing will happen," said another.
The Jaipur police has now formed special teams to catch the fraudulent
foursome: Manvendra Singh, Pramod sharma, Narendra singh and
Mahendra, who ran this company and are now trying to flee the country.
"There is information that they have left the country, but we will arrest them where ever they are," said BL Soni, Commissioner of Police,
Jaipur. But it's not just Jaipur alone. The scam extends to 27 other cities
where Gold Sukh was being run on promises that people's money was being
doubled by investing in gold. Source: NDTV
Rajasthan High Court asks Bhanwari Devi is alive or dead.
Jodhpur, November 22, 2011: The CBI and the state government have two more days to tell
the Rajasthan High Court whether missing nurse Bhanwari Devi is alive or
dead. The CBI had on November 14 submitted its status report on the progress of
investigation in the Bhanwari Devi abduction case in the Jodhpur bench of Rajasthan High Court.
The bench had directed the CBI to convey the date for submitting its
full report before adjourning the hearing till November 23. The Jodhpur bench had earlier asked the investigating agency to report
to the court if Rajasthan government was not cooperating in the probe.
Meanwhile, more than 200 policemen on Monday search about 20 kms fields of Lohavat to find the remains of Bhanwari Devi.
Rajasthan cabinet quits en masse
JAIPUR/NEW DELHI, November 17, 2011: Anxious about growing public perception
that Rajasthan is suffering a governance deficit, CM Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday, prompted
by the Congress leadership, got the resignation of his entire council of
ministers to carry out a reshuffle. Congress impresarios' anxiety is understandable considering that the
growing perception of poor governance would eventually help the BJP,
which lost the last assembly elections due to infighting.
The Maderna sleaze CD may have been the immediate trigger, but Congress
leadership's concerns go deeper than that. These stem primarily from the
firing on Muslims in Gopalgarh, which party general secretary Rahul Gandhi had visited. The negative publicity accruing to the Congress from the
violence spread as far as UP, where anti-Congress posters were seen in
places as far away as Kanpur and other districts of west UP. Minister for home, UDH, law and parliamentary affairs Shanti
Dhariwal said the step was taken to end the political uncertainty. "The decision
was taken unanimously to strengthen the hands of the chief minister and
enable him and the party high command to carry out the reshuffle that
has been due for long," Dhariwal said. "The chief minister can now constitute a new team as per his prerogative," he said. "We are all with
the CM. We have full faith in him,'' he added.
Plan your family, take home a Nano: Rajasthan govt
Bhilwara, November 02, 2011: The Rajasthan government has come up with a new
incentive to promote its family planning initiative, and it is directly proportional to the
concept if not the magnitude of the initiative. A small car for a small
family. After Pali, residents of Bhilwara district who participate in these
government-organised sterlisation campaigns will get a chance to win a
Nano. Besides the Nano, there are other prizes on offer as well such as motorcycles and refrigerators.
"With the attractive offers, we expect the sterilisation numbers to
increase by a substantial margin. The prizes will be given to lucky lottery winners in January next year," said RC Samaria, chief medical
and health officer. There are also prizes even for those who encourage others to opt for the
operation. Anyone who manages to enlist a man for the operation will be
given Rs 200 and Rs 150 for enlisting a woman. If the "motivator" manages to enlist 10 people, they will get a Nokia mobile worth Rs 1,800
as a prize from the state government, officials said. The state's medical and health department has set sterilisation targets
for each district on the basis of the rate of population growth. According to the 2011 census, Rajasthan's population is over 6.86
crore.
Bhutan royals to
Rajasthan on October 27 for honeymoon
Udaipur, October 23, 2011: Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and
Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck will be arriving in Rajasthan for their honeymoon. They
will be in the state for four days. They will be arriving in Jaipur on
October 27 evening. On October 28, they will arrive in Jodhpur and will go sightseeing.
Their final destination in the state will be Udaipur. Their trip schedule has been by the Rajasthan government and Indian government.
According to sources, the king and the queen will arrive in India on
October 23 and will leave on October 31. They will arrive in Jaipur on
October 27 at 7.30 pm. On October 28, they will reach Jodhpur at 3.30
pm and will reach Udaipur at around 7 pm. They will board the 'Royal Couple Special Train' for Delhi on October 30.
Rajasthan farmers get power relief
Jaipur, October 20, 2011 (PTI): The Rajasthan government today announced that
farmers in the state will get over four-five hours of electricity daily.
The relief was announced after a cabinet meet, chaired by Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot, took the stock of power situation in the state. "There will be relief in power cut from November 1 and farmers would be
supplied 4-5 hours electricity per day," Energy Minister Jitendra Singh
told reporters after the meeting. "We have also demanded additional power from the Centre to compensate
the shortage," he said. The cabinet discussed action plan which aims at reducing transmission
and distribution losses and improving collection from agricultural connections.
Rajasthan High Court slams government
Jaipur, October 14, 2011: The Rajasthan High Court has come down heavily on the
Ashok Gehlot-led Congress state government in connection with the missing auxiliary nurse
midwife, Bhanwari Devi, in which a Cabinet minister is an accused. While
the court Thursday asked the government whether those named in the petition had been questioned, the Bench observed that the government was
weak and escapist. The observations were made during the hearing of a habeas corpus writ
filed by Devi's husband Amarchand. His lawyer Sandeep Shah on Thursday told The Indian Express, The court asked the prosecutor appearing for
the government whether those against whom allegations have been made in the petition have been investigated or not. The petition mentions the
involvement of Cabinet Minister Mahipal Maderna, and the police have not questioned him once.?
Lathicharge by police at businessmen's rally
JAIPUR, October 2, 2011: At least five businessmen were injured in a mild lathicharge by
police on a rally called by United Council of Rajasthan Industries at
Collectorate on Friday. They were protesting against the recent power tariff hike.
Around 500 industrialists who took out a rally at 11 am were stopped by
the police on their way to Raj Bhavan. The businessmen protested and parked their vehicles blocking all roads leading to the Collectorate
Circle. The area that has courts and other government departments is one of the busiest.
Missing nurse case: Add minister's name in FIR, says court
Jodhpur, September 24, 2011 (PTI): A local court on Friday directed the police to
include Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna's name in the FIR in the nurse Bhanwari Devi
missing case. The direction was given by additional chief judicial magistrate of
Bilara Sandeep Sharma while hearing a complaint filed by Amarchand, husband of 36-year-old Bhanwari
Devi. Amarchand had lodged the FIR after his wife, who was posted as auxiliary
nurse midwife at a sub-centre in Jaliwada village in the district, went missing on September 1.
The complaint filed in the court on Tuesday accused Maderna of
blackmailing his wife and charged him with kidnap, rape and murder. In his order, Sharma directed the police to club Maderna's name in the
previously lodged FIR by Amarchand and clamp charges of rape, murder and
criminal conspiracy against him. The Rajasthan high court had on Thursday expressed displeasure over the
"directionless" probe in the case and pulled up the investigation officer.
The court, while hearing the habeas corpus filed by Amarchand, had ordered the Inspector General of Police (Jodhpur Range) to appear before
it on September 26 with the progress report on the probe.
Gopalgarh violence: Autopsies of victims begin
Jaipur/Bharatpur, September 19, 2011 (HT): Autopsies of the eight victims of a
communal clash in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district four days ago began at the district government
hospital on Sunday. A team of five senior doctors from Jaipur's Sawai
Man Singh hospital is conducting the autopsies. However, only one postmortem, that of
40- year- old Iqbal, could be completed on Sunday. The remaining autopsies
will be conducted on Monday, doctors said. The eight people were killed in police firing
following violent clashes between Meo Muslims and Gujjars in Gopalgarh on
Wednesday over land for a Muslim graveyard. The Gujjars, who claim ownership of the land, are
opposed to Meo Muslims using it as a graveyard.
The situation in Gopalgarh remained under control on Sunday and the
curfew was relaxed from 11am to 4 pm. Minister of state for home affairs Bhanwar Jitendra Singh
met the bereaved families at the district hospital and assured action against
those found guilty. On Friday, chief minister Ashok Gehlot decided to hand over the case to
the Central Bureau of Investigation. District collector Krishna Kunal
and superintendent of police Hinglaj Dan were removed, while the government announced jobs for the kin of those killed.
"The government is with you and you will get justice," Singh said.
Rollback power tariff hike, say industry representatives
JAIPUR, September 16, 2011: Representatives of industries in the state on
September 14, 2011 intensified their protest against the power tariff hike by staging a
dharna at Udyog Maidan near the Statue Circle and threatened to shut their units if hikes are not rolled back
by the end of September. After a symbolic protest by keeping all their units shut on Sunday, the
United Council of Rajasthan Industries (UCRI) called for a dharna starting from 14 September till 30th
September against the power tariff hike. UCRI is a consortium of all the major industry associations in Rajasthan.
President Tarachand Choudhary warned the state government and said, "If
our concerns are not heard latest by September 30, industries across the
state will stop paying electricity bills from October 1". The earlier one-day shutdown of more than 3.75 lakh units in the state
on Sunday caused a loss of Rs 30 crore to the exchequer. Manufacturers in the state unanimously voiced their protest against the
increased tariff saying the government's move will kill the Rajasthan's
industries completely. They decided to take up the issue with chief minister Ashok Gehlot and asked him to look into the matter personally.
Rajasthan Assembly discusses corruption issue
Jaipur, August 28, 2011 (PTI) The issue of corruption today came up for
discussion in the Rajasthan Assembly with leaders from across the political spectrum deliberating ways and means to curb the ill practice.
Opposition BJP had yesterday raised the demand for debate on the issue.
BJP whip Rajendra Rathore opened the debate in the House and said Congress president Sonia Gandhi had gave some points to curb corruption
but the state government failed to implement them. He pointed out that no illegal mining or such activity would had
happened in the state if the government had followed the Congress party
chief''s programme. Rathore also questioned funding of elections by parties and sources of these funds.
Earlier, Speaker Deependra Singh Shekhawat took up legislative works as
the House passed Rajasthan Appropriation Bill, Rajasthan Fiscal Responsibility, Rajasthan
Ayurved University Bill and Budget Management (Second Amendment) Bill.The House proceedings began with tabling of some notifications of
finance department by state Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal. As soon as Dhariwal tabled the notifications including one of exempting
tickets of seven IPL matches from entertainment tax, Deputy Leader of
Opposition Ghanshyam Tiwari asked the minister to clarify on what grounds the government had exempted the tax.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot intervened and informed the House that only
those tickets which were priced below Rs 500 were exempted from entertainment tax.
Rajasthan Monsoon Session Starts With Anna Issue
Jaipur, August 24, 2011 (PTI): Anna Hazare's agitation for the passage of the Jan
Lokpal bill in Parliament today rocked the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on the first
day of the Monsoon Session with Opposition BJP raising the demand for a
debate on the issue and staging a walk-out.
As soon as the House assembled, Leader of the Opposition Vasundhara Raje
said there was an urgent need to discuss the issue of Hazare's agitation
as countrywide people were on the roads expressing their desire to eradicate corruption.
She said Hazare's health was deteriorating because of his fast and the
situation may worsen in the country as well as in the state. Hence, it
was important to urgently discuss the issue of corruption and the ongoing agitation against it.
However, Speaker Deependra Singh Shekhawat asked her to raise this
demand in the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) scheduled
after adjournment and took up the listed business. However, BJP MLAs Rajendra Singh
Rathore, Kalicharan Saraf, Digambar Singh and others continued to raise the issue of Hazare after which the
Opposition staged a walk-out. Two BJP MLAs Devi Singh Bhati and Mohan Lal Gupta were seen wearing
Gandhian caps with 'I am Anna' written on them.
People fill in streets across Rajasthan in support of Anna Hazare
AJMER/ALWAR/JODHPUR, August 18, 2011: From burning effigies of Congress
leaders, people continued to pour in for the protest rallies held across the state on Wednesday. A number of rallies were held in all
districts and even those in smaller towns took to the streets promising
their support to the anti-corruption crusader. In Ajmer, people organised a dharna at Gandhi Bhavan crossroad and burnt the effigy of
the Union government. Students of various colleges participated in a
rally from Government College to Gandhi Bhavan crossroad. The Bar Association of Revenue Board suspended work and organised a rally. "The
act of arresting Anna is unconstitutional and we support the cause which
he brought to light," said V P Singh Rajawat, president of the association.
Support for Anna Hazare increased in Jodhpur with more citizens jumping into the fray at different places and
in different manners ranging from sitting on dharna to keeping the
markets closed and burning effigies. A relay fast by supporters was joined by four
retired district judges along with the litterateur fraternity, which organised a poetic
seminar based on corruption at the dharna spot. A team of doctors checked the health of those sitting on
indefinite fast.
The legal fraternity of Jodhpur also jumped into the movement and
boycotted the courts on Wednesday with not a single lawyer appearing in
courts to protest the arrest of Hazare. Raising slogans hundreds of school students and youngsters participated in a huge
rally organised in Dholpur. A number of women and senior citizens also
participated in the rallies. In Tonk district, supporters under the banner of Tonk Vikas Manch burnt effigies of PM Manmohan Singh and the
UPA government while a partial bandh was observed in Bhilwara.
India successfully conducts user trial of BrahMos in Pokhran
NEW DELHI, August 13, 2011: India successfully conducted the user trial of a
BrahMos supersonic guided missile capable of hitting targets that may otherwise
be inaccessible like in hilly areas, defence ministry sources said. The trial was conducted in Pokhran in the Thar desert region of
Rajasthan. The test met all the mission parameters, said the sources.
The launch was the 25th launch of BrahMos missile for the Indian Army.
The version of BrahMos that was tested can be guided through mountainous
terrain to hit the targets that may be located in hillocks. The BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km and can carry a conventional
warhead of up to 300 kg. It has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than
the US subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile. This makes BrahMos one of the
fastest cruise missiles in the world.
Jodhpur set to become centre of research projects
JODHPUR, August 06, 2011: Western Rajasthan is all set to be the hub of of
scientific researches in fields ranging from energy to culture. The emerging energy sector and the premier technology
institute, IIT, will be at the helm of these researches through their
centers of excellence with Jodhpur as its main centre. The objective
will be to harness the potential of the region using the latest technology.
Even as the IIT announced setting up of six centers here, petroleum giant Cairn Energy ( India),
engaged in exploration of oil in Barmer, has also thrown its hat in the ring.
Recently, the company has been allotted 12 acre land adjacent to
proposed IIT campus in Ghadaw village. An official said the company will
set up a training institute with focus on entry level course pertaining
to the oil and gas industry but research will be an integral part of this centre.
"We have already made a tie-up with a UAE-based institute," he said. The
centre will have some tailor-made courses keeping in mind the need of
the industry in the region and will develop the human resource useful
for the industry, he said, adding, "We look forward to train more than
one lakh youths in next 10 years." IIT-Jodhpur has already one centre each on information communication
technology (ICT), energy, system science, water, chemical biology and
art/culture and heritage.
Dr. Abdullah inaugurates first S97 Wind Turbine
Jaipur, July 03, 2011: The Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq
Abdullah, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation Suzlon's latest offering - the
S97 - 2.1 MW wind turbine, in a ceremony in Tejuva, Rajasthan. Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdullah said: "Renewable energy has a
critical role to play in the nation's development - and wind energy has
been one of the most important contributors in this space. "India is today the fifth largest wind power market in the world. It is
also a leader in exporting wind turbines to mature and emerging markets.Suzlon's S97 is another example of our nation's leadership in this important and
fast-growing sector," he added.
Coporates control Centre & state govenmets
JAIPUR, July 28, 2011: The scattered fights of farmers against "forceful" land
acquisitions by the state government in Rajasthan got a unification boost on Wednesday when social activist Medha Patkar
included them into her countrywide movement against the Land Acquisition Act of 1894.
After a daylong seminar with affected farmers from the state, Patkar and
representatives of various farmers groups met chief minister Ashok Gehlot with the demand to cease acquiring agricultural lands for the
corporations till the existing Act was replaced by a humane law on the
subject.
The seminar was organised by farmers who stood displaced or were on the
verge of displacement due to "forceful" land acquisition. The affected
people, supported by the PUCL, formed a platform to jointly fight land
acquisitions anywhere in Rajasthan from now on. During the seminar Patkar launched a frontal attack on the corporations
, which were accused of "controlling" the Centre and the state governments, and said, "They are like dacoits plundering our
resources-be it the agricultural lands, forests or mountains." She accused the Gehlot government of acquiring farmers' lands for private
companies. Source: Times of India
Rajasthan to be first state to provide housing to all BPL families
Jaipur, July 26, 2011 (PTI): Union Minister Jairam Ramesh MondaY said in the next three years,
Rajasthan will become the first state to provide housing facility to all
BPL families. "In the next three years, Rajasthan will be a role model for other
states..it will become the first state to provide housing facility to
all BPL families," he said after distributing sanction letters of the
first installment of aid under Mukhyamantri Gramin BPL Awas Yojana in
Pokhran town of Jaisalmer district.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also shared the dais with the
Union Rural Development Minister. Union minister of state for finance Namo Narain Meena also distributed
sanction letters of the first installment of grant aid at a function in
Tonk district.
Compulsory registration for middle-level schools
AJMER, July 16, 2011: The state government made it compulsory for all private
middle-level schools institutes to get recognition at least up to Class VIII.
As on date, there are more than 32,000 unregistered private middle-level
schools running in the state that follow no norms in fee fixation, infrastructure
facilities or in appointment of teachers. According to the new rules, every private school will have to pay a recognition fee
of Rs 10,000 and will have to show a fix deposit of Rs 50,000. They also
have to follow the norms and standard of Right to Education which has
been partially implemented in the state from April 1, 2009.
Opening a school up to the middle-level has been easy in the state
earlier as it was not necessary to take any permission. Nor do these
schools have to follow any rules or guidelines. "In most places, especially backward areas, schools have become the main source of
business as the government has failed to provide qualitative education
and craze of English-medium attracted the middle-class parents," a retired education officer said. These schools charge Rs 400 to Rs 500
per month as fees and pay about Rs 1,000 each to unqualified teachers as
salaries. More than 32,000 private primary and middle schools are running in the
state with districts like Nagaur, Dausa, Churu and Dholpur having the
highest number of such institutes.
A bill to curb begging in Rajasthan
JAIPUR, July 14, 2011: The state will soon introduce a bill to put a curb on begging.
The draft of the bill is in the final stages and may be introduced in
the next session of the assembly. According to Aditi Mehta, principal secretary, "The bill is aimed at
training, treating, educating and rehabilitating beggars. As opposed to practices of banning
begging in some states, this bill will not ban begging but will be aimed at
rehabilitation of beggars."
Primarily a tourist state, Rajasthan has been facing problems from
beggars at most tourist spots. Not only has it been a cause of harassment to tourists but there are complaints of beggars forcing
tourists to cut short their visit to certain spots due to beggars. The bill seeks to establish rehabilitation homes in various districts
according to the requirement. These rehabilitation homes will be under
the supervision of the district labour commissioner and would train,
educate, treat and help beggars rehabilitate. The post of a commissioner
for the rehabilitation homes would also be made.
State ‘hums’ new slogan for population control
Jaipur, July 11, 2011: The medical and health department has now come up with the new slogan to
sensitise people about the population growth. It has linked the slogan
with social, economic and health concerns. The department has launched a
special programme to begin on July 11 and conclude on July 24.
Director family welfare M L Jain said on Sunday, "In all districts we
have decided to popularise the new slogan. Through it we want to spread
the message that 'chota pariwar '(small family) will not only be beneficial for the members of the family in terms of health, but also in
respect to financial and social status. A family should be small for its
all-round development."
To spread the message, medical and health department would take out
rallies in all districts and they have invited public representatives,
including MLAs, zilla pramukhs, pradhans and other public representatives to inform the people about the benefits of small families.
PLG Power plans 100 MW of Solar Power Plant at Rajasthan
Jaipur, July 8, 2011: Mumbai based PLG Power is in plans to come up with 100 MW of Solar Power
Generation Plant. One of the biggest solar power projects under PLG Plast Ltd is expected to start early this year 2011. The project will be
put at Pokhran under the recent policy of Government of Rajasthan.
The project is in process to be approved by Indian Energy Exchange
(IEC) and Rural Electrification Corporation to proceed further. The
total estimated cost of the whole project is Rs. 13.50bn and is expected to start very shortly.
Mr. Punit Goel, CEO and Director commented that, “We have identified
this region because of its favourable climatic conditions like very high
ambient temperature, atmosphere and soil. This part of Rajasthan
receives an adequate amount of solar radiation”. The installation of the
project will be highly equipped with skilled labour and highly skilled man-power.
Government of Rajasthan recently announced energy policy on solar sector
“Rajasthan Solar Energy Policy 2011” which proved to be a gateway for
manufacturers to set up a power project with a huge capacity. Under this
policy the manufacturers are open to sell the generated power to any
party or any other state than Rajasthan.
In Rajasthan, get sterilised, grab a chance to win Nano
Jaipur, July 02, 2011: Undergoing sterilisation in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district can now win
you a Nano, motorcycles, television sets or a mixie. A new health department scheme to promote sterilisation offers those who undergo
sterilisation a chance to enter a lucky draw and win one of several prizes with a Tata Nano as the top prize.
The scheme was launched on Friday. Jhunjhunu chief medical officer
Sitaram Sharma said: "This scheme is only to promote sterilisation in
the district and we believe this incentive would help. Though this district has one of the least population growth rates in the state, an
incentive could only help improve the situation."
Jhunjhunu's population has grown by 11.8 per cent in the last 10 years
and on an average, Sharma said, close to 10,000 men and women undergo
sterilisation in the district every year. The Centre's incentives for
sterilisation include Rs 1,100 for men and Rs 600 for women.
Rains continue to lash most parts of Rajasthan
Jaipur, June 30, 2011 (PTI):`Rainfall continued to lash most parts of Rajasthan even as some areas in
the desert state remained dry during the past 24 hours. Light to moderate rainfall occurred at many places in Jaipur and
Bharatpur divisions, at a few places in Bikaner and at isolated areas in
Ajmer, the Met department said.
Heavy rainfall was received by isolated pockets in Bharatpur,
Jaipur, Kota and Bikaner divisions. On the contrary, weather remained dry in
Udaipur and Jodhpur divisions with no report of downpours. Deeg in Bharatpur recorded maximum rainfall of 11 cm followed by
Manoharthana at 10 cm since yesterday till today morning. Rainfall has been predicted by weather watchers during the next 24 hours
at a few places in North and at isolated patches in South Rajasthan.
Rajasthan's dalit women celebrate 'liberty' at temple
Varanasi, June 21, 2011 (IANS): In a revolution of sorts, some 200 dalit women from Rajasthan on Monday
achieved what they thought would remain a mirage -- performing rituals
with upper caste Hindus at the Vishwanath temple.
Amidst ecstatic shouts of 'Har Har Gange', the women, who once worked as
manual scavengers, also took a dip in the holy Ganga and chanted hymns
along the Dashashwamedh Ghat, deemed to be the most pious bank. While the Vishwanath temple does not bar Dalits from offering prayers,
the women considered performing rituals with Brahmins an act of empowerment.
After performing rituals at the Dashashwamedh Ghat for nearly two hours,
the women proceeded to the Vishwanath temple, carrying earthen pots filled with Ganga water, even as the locals watched them curiously.
Sulabh International, the social service organisation which organised
the programme, flew in the women from Rajasthan.
PM assures support to Rajasthan in setting up refinery at Barmer Oilfields
New Delhi, June 17, 2011: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured support to the Rajasthan
government in setting up a refinery at Cairn-operated Barmer oilfields
raising speculation that the cabinet may include it as an additional
condition for approving the USD 9.6 billion Cairn-Vedanta deal.
Rajasthan chief minister Mr Ashok Gehlot who met the Prime Minister
confirmed that that Singh had assured his support to the refinery project. He said that "I have told him that the state has agreed to give
all fiscal concessions besides making a 26% equity contribution.” A cabinet minister said that "If Vedanta agrees for an equity
participation in the proposed refinery it would certainly make the deal
more acceptable, especially to the people of Rajasthan.” He, however,
said that technically, approval to the Cairn-Vedanta deal and construction of refinery in Rajasthan were two different things but it
could be discussed at the Cabinet Committee in Economic Affairs meeting.
Low-cost laptops would be delivered to IIT-Rajasthan
NEW DELHI, June 10, 2011: Six years after it was conceived, the first lot of 10,000
laptops – the HRD ministry calls it low-cost access-cum-computing device
— would be delivered to IIT-Rajasthan in late June, and over the next
four months 90,000 more would be made available at Rs 2,200 a piece.
The announcement was made on Wednesday at the state education ministers'
conference. Ministry officials said once the supply of one lakh devices
is made, each state would be given 3,000 pieces. The Centre would subsidize 50% of the cost. Effectively, a student would have to pay Rs
1,100 for the gadget. Officials said manufacturing of one lakh laptops has been done in India.
As for the cost escalation from the earlier promised price of Rs 1,500,
officials said it is due to increase in input cost. "But once more orders are placed, the price would be renegotiated and brought down to
Rs 1, 500," an official said. IIT-Rajasthan is the nodal institute for
conceiving and monitoring the progress of manufacturing of these gadgets.
The low-cost device has a seven-inch touch screen, two USB ports, battery that runs for three hours, external hard drive or solid state
memory support up to 32 GB.
Rajasthan intense heat wave breaking a 15-year record.
Jaipur June 9, 2011: In Rajasthan temperatures are touching nearly 50 degrees, breaking a 15-year record.
The sun's burning up the Thar Desert with temperatures at Barmer and
Phalodi have crossing 49 degrees. The sweltering has taken people by
surprise and residents and administration are doing all that they can to keep cool.
With the Met department predicting pre-monsoon showers, which are likely
to bring the temperatures down, there might soon be some respite for the
people of Rajasthan dealing with the harshest spell of heat wave this summer.
Sonia Gandhi launches National Rural Livelihood Mission
Rajasthan, June 3, 2011: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday unveiled the National
Rural Livelihood Mission to reach out to BPL families through self-help
groups and said the network of such groups comprising women will be strengthened.
Terming the NRLM as an ambitious programme of the UPA government, she
said its effective implementation all over the country is important and women self-help groups can be strengthened through it.
Launching the scheme in this pre-dominantly tribal district, she said,
"The country is rapidly progressing with a strong network of Panchayati
Raj institutions due to strong efforts of Rajiv Gandhi. These institutions have almost 10 lakh elected women
representatives and the number of SHGs is also increasing with around 50 lakh self-help groups
making efforts to improve the condition of women in various states. "These groups are boosting the confidence of women in rural areas and
successfully running group activities like monitoring of primary health
centres, social audit of various government-run schemes and programmes, distribution of old age pension, procurement of wheat and rice," she said.
"To make them more effective, a new economic institution is going to be
formed by the government and for that, the Finance Ministry has already
fixed Rs 500 crore," she told a large gathering of tribals, mostly women, who braved blistering heat to be present at the function.
This tribal region of southern Rajasthan also took a leap forward with
Gandhi laying the foundation of Dungarpur-Banswara-Ratlam rail line near
Dungarpur Railway Station. The line will connect the tribal region of Banswara district. The Rs
2,100 crore project is scheduled to be completed within seven years.
Monsoon may hit Rajasthan by June 20
JAIPUR, June 30, 2011: There is good news for the people of the state, especially for
farmers preparing to sow kharif crops.The monsoon entered Kerala on Sunday, and it will be an early monsoon in Rajasthan as well. According
to Met department, monsoon will enter from the southern part of the state and will cover Kota region, including Kota, Jhalawar, Baran and
Banswara on June 20. It is expected to hit the state capital on June 25.
"Usually it gets delayed by a week as it also gets stuck in Ma-harashtra
and Gujarat before arriving in Rajasthan. Since it has already hit Kerala on Sunday, it is going to enter Rajasthan a bit early compared to
previous years," a Met official told TOI on Sunday.
According to officials, in 2010 monsoon showers lashed Kerala on May 31
but before reaching the state it got stuck in Maharashtra and Gujarat
and arrived in Kota only on July 1. The ongoing pattern of upper air
cyclonic circulation and moisture can't be associated with the monsoon
but these factors will play a catalyst for timely arrival of the monsoon
here, said an official. "The scattered rain in some parts of eastern and
southern Rajasthan can't be taken as pre-monsoon showers but certainly
these are indicative of an early monsoon in the state," he said. The
monsoon will progress towards western Rajasthan from July 2.
"It will reach Jodhpur by July 2 and Bikaner, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh
and Churu by July 8. It will hit the desert area, including Jaisalmer
and Barmer, by July 13," an official said. The sowing of kharif crops
like rice, pulses and oilseeds starts with the arrival of the first showers. Source: Times of India
India and the World Bank signed IDA credit of $162.7 million
Jaipur, May 25, 2011: India and the World Bank today signed IDA credit of $162.7 million for
Rajasthan Rural Livelihoods Project, which will finance livelihood opportunities for some 400,000 village households in 17 districts of
Rajasthan. The agreement for the Rajasthan Rural Livelihoods Project was
signed by Venu Rajamony, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India; Mrs
Poonam, State Project Director on behalf of the Rajasthan Government;
and Roberto Zagha, Country Director India, on behalf of the World Bank.
The funding for the Rajasthan Rural Livelihoods Project will help
improve economic opportunities for rural communities, especially women
and marginal groups, in 9000 villages of the state. It will channel financing for income-generating activities through some 33,000
SHGs; link selected SHGs to markets; and also help develop skills for
unemployed rural youth.
19 killed, 62 injured in mishaps in Rajasthan
Jaipur, May 12, 2011: Nineteen people were killed and 62 others injured in two separate road
mishaps in Rajasthan, police said on Thursday.11 men were killed when a truck carrying a marriage party overturned in
Dholpur district. The incident occurred last night near Arua-ka-Nala
area when the victims were returning to their native village Khedli after attending the marriage function at nearby Laloni village, they said.
"Nine men died on the spot, while two others succumbed to injuries at a
hospital. The injured were rushed to different hospitals in the district
and nearby areas," Kanchanpura SHO Rajendra Yadav said.
In another mishap, eight persons were killed and 12 others injured in a
collision between two cars in Pali district. The accident happened near Bavra village when the cars collided head on` Thursday, they added.
Rajasthan HC once again stays Teachers Eligibility Test 2011
Jaipur, May 9, 2011 (UNI): The Rajasthan High Court again stayed the Teachers
Eligibility Test (TET) scheduled to be held by the State Board of Secondary Education for attaining eligibility for recruitment as teacher
in government run schools. Justice GK Vyas issued interim stay order today on petition from Sushil
Sompura and others and referred the case to a division bench for further
hearing.The stay would remain in force till further order by the divisional bench, the Judge held.
In his interim order Justice Mr Vyas wanted to know from the state
government whether TET could be held without amending rules and qualifications for appointment/recruitment for teachers.
Justice Vyas had earlier stayed the test for the second time.On April 15 while hearing a petition Justice Vyas had stayed the holding
of exam but later Justice Dinesh Maheshwari vacated the stay on May 6 on
certain conditions that included relaxation in minimum marks criterion
and re-scheduling of exam dates to accommodate more candidates.
88 Rajasthan panchayats vow to end child labour
Dungarpur (Rajasthan), April 30, 2011 (IANS): A total of 88 gram panchayat in
the tribal belt of Dungarpur in Rajasthan have chalked out plans to make
their areas free of child labour by November this year, an official said.
The panchayats in Dungarpur district, over 500 km from the state capital
Jaipur, have resolved to attain ‘zero tolerance’ to child labour by Nov
30, said an official at a function held here to observe April 30 as the National Anti-Child Labour Day.
Rajasthan’s principal secretary of department of labour, Manohar Kant,
and Rajasthan state chief- of Unicef Samuel Mawunganidze, joined Dungarpur District Collector Puran Chandra Kishan in launching a
community leadership driven campaign against child labour. The 2011 campaign in 88 panchayats with high burden of child labour and
a high number of out-of-school children, builds upon the ‘Nanhe Haat
Kalam Sena’ door to door community mobilization campaign launched by
Chief Minister Ashok Ghelot in June 2010. Launching the campaign, Kant said: ‘The community response in Dungarpur
has been very encouraging and that is what has led us to believe that we
can achieve the target of making Dungarpur child labour-free.’
Sawai Padmanbh Singh coronated maharaja of Jaipur
JAIPUR, April 28, 2011: The coronation of the titular maharaja of Jaipur, Padmanabh
Singh, was held in the Darbar Hall of the City Palace here on Wednesday.
Twelve-year-old Padmanabh was announced as the new king after the demise
of the erstwhile maharaja Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh. The ceremony was attended by heads of many erstwhile princely states,
businessmen and prominent citizens of the city. Notable among the guests
are former royal families of Kashmir, Patiala, Jodhpur, Karauli,
Dholpur, Alwar, Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Sonpur, Santrampur, Sirohi, Loharu and
Nahan. Health Minister A A Khan, speaker of the state assembly Dipendra Singh
Shekhawat, former cine star and ex-Union minister Vinod Khanna and chief
secretary S Ahmad were also present on the occasion.
During the day, Union minister of state for telecommunication Sachin
Pilot, tourism minister Bina Kak, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and former
chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh also visited the Palace.
The Raj Tilak ceremony was performed by rajpurohit Brijraj Kishan and
aachrya Dilip Sharma with Vedic chants. Later, priests and mahants of
different religions, including Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christanity,
and Jainism blessed the young maharaja. Following the coronation of Padmanabh, the flag on the Chandra Mahal
which was on half mast, was fully hoisted again and drum beats at the
Nagarkhana resumed to announce the new king. Members of the royal families, former nobles and the
guests paid rich tributes to Sawai Padmanabh Singh.
Skewed sex ratio in Rajasthan cause concern
JAIPUR, April 24, 2011: The women's wing of the Federation of Rajasthan Trade and
Industry (FORTI) expressed concern over the skewed sex-ratio in the state at a seminar on Saturday.
Experts at the seminar said the state will have to face serious consequences if sex-ratio continues to go down at the same rate.
FORTI general secretary Prem Biyani said, "The sex-ratio which was 909
in 2001 has slipped to 883 in 2011 among children in the 0-6 age group
in the state. Female foeticide is one of the major reasons for the decline in sex-ratio. The figures of Census 2011 indicate that the
heinous practice of female foeticide is still prevalent in various parts
of the state. The government has failed to improve sex-ratio."
Zanana hospital superintendent Shashi Gupta gave a power point
presentation on reasons for the abnormal sex-ratio in the state. She
said, "Even in the modern era, parents want a boy rather than a girl
because of social and economic reasons. People still cling to old traditions where role of girls was not important. Marriages have become
more expensive. Due to these reasons, people want only boys."
Rajasthan near-bottom in literacy, child sex ratio
JAIPUR, April 12, 2011: From literacy rate to child sex ratio, Rajasthan has lost it on all counts in the 2011 census.Even as the state tries to draw solace from the 6.97% drop in decadal
growth rate, the fact is that Rajasthan still figures among the larger
states and Union Territories which have registered above 20% growth rate.
While the women's literacy rate of 52.66% places Rajasthan at the bottom
of the national chart, the men's literacy ratio, which stood above the
national mark in 2001, has also come down now. In 2001, the men's national literacy rate stood at 75.26% while in
Rajasthan the figure was 75.70% In the 2011 census, while the national
men's literacy rate is 82.14, for Rajasthan it is 80.51.
The state has also lost out in registering a rise in its overall
literacy rate when compared to the national mark. While the difference
between the national literacy rate and those for Rajasthan in 2001 stood
at 4.42 points, in the 2011 Census it has increased to 9.98 points. The
state's literacy rate is the third lowest in the country followed only
by Arunachal Pradesh at 66.95 and Bihar at 63.82.
The overall sex ratio, while apparently painting a sunny picture with
figures of 926 women to 1,000 men in the Census 2011 report, a jump by 5 points from 2001, leaves a reason or two to worry
about as the state has lost two of its only two districts -- Dungarpur
and Rajsamand -- that boasted of a sex ratio above the 1,000 mark. Now
there are no district in the state which has equal number of women and
men. "This means that ultra- sound machines are making their way causing
foeticides," said an expert. A clearer picture of this is evident in the child sex ratio that has
fallen from 909 to 883 in the state. As many as 24 districts where the
number of girl child between the age of 0 to 6 years stood above the 900
mark for every 1,000 boys are now much below this mark.
Campaign to be launched to curb black marketing of LPG in Rajasthan
Jaipur, March 25, 2011 (PTI) : A special campaign will be launched to curb black marketing and misuse
of domestic LPG cylinders in Rajasthan, official sources said in Jaipur today.
"The campaign, to be jointly executed by petroleum companies and state
food and civil supply department, will be launched from April 6 to April
10 all over the state," an official of the food and civil supply department said.
Two state-level vigilance squads have been constituted for the purpose,
he said, adding that they would organise the inspection of gas agencies
and action will be taken on detection of irregularities.
Renewable energy research centre in Rajasthan
Thane, March 23, 2011 (PTI): The Chamber of Small Industry Associations (COSIA) and the Jagdishprasad
Jhabarmal Tibrewala University at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan have come together to set up a renewable energy research
centre. This is the first joint venture of its kind in the country where an
industry association and an educational institution have joined hands to
set up a research centre, the COSIA said. The centre, which will come up in Rajasthan, will help carry out
research in the vital field of renewable energy, the COSIA President, Mr
M.R. Khambete, has said. The city- headquartered COSIA represents more than 300 associations of
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), he said.
Rajasthan imposes tax worth Rs 500 crore
Jaipur, March 9, 2011 (PTI) The government of Rajasthan today imposed a few
taxes aimed at earning approximately Rs 500 crore in 2011-12, with
raising lands'' DLC rates by 15 per cent and increasing urban cess of 5
paise per unit on consumers in municipal areas consuming more than 100
units a month. State Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ashok Gehlot presented his
third annual Budget in the state assembly today and proposed an annual
plan size of Rs 28,461 crore, with a fiscal deficit budget of Rs 8,063 crore for the year 2011-12.
In order to strengthen civic bodies financially, Gehlot said Urban Cess
of 5 paise per unit on consumers in municipal areas consuming more than
100 units per month was increased which is expected to generate a revenue of around 50
crore. He said raising District Level Committee (DLC) rates of all types of
lands will also generate a revenue of Rs 175 crore. He also raised tax
on aviation turbine fuel from 14 per cent to 20 per cent. The revenue surplus to be estimated for the stipulated year would be
around Rs 352 crore 62 lakh, Gehlot said. He made an estimated surplus budget of Rs 99.15 crore in the next fiscal
with total revenue receipt of Rs 52,287 crore. He increased 40 per cent tax on tobacco products and said it was
necessary to demoralise the use of tobacco products, considering its effects on its consumers'' health.
Gehlot announced to set up a Rajasthan Infrastructure Development Fund
(RTIDF) to fulfil the conditions of Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewable
Mission (JNNURM) for execution of activities related with pollution control and making available a planned and safe public transport.
He proposed to impose 10 per cent tax on one time tax payable under
Rajasthan Motor Vehicle Act-1951 on that fund. However, vehicle up to Rs 3 lakh will be exempted from this tax.
The Chief Minister also proposed to impose ''Green Tax'' on all old and
new vehicles and revenue collection will be used for pollution control.
Rajasthan plans national park in Kumbhalgarh
JAIPUR, March 06, 2011: Rajasthan's forest department plans to develop a national park
in Kumbhalgarh , Raoli and Tatgarh areas of the state, an official said on Saturday.The park, covering an area of 525 sq km, will be Rajasthan's third one
after Ranthambore and Keoladeo national parks in Sawai Madhopur and Bharatpur districts, respectively.
It is being planned to accommodate the growing population of tigers in
Ranthambore National Park and prevent territorial fights among them.
The park will be developed after clubbing together sanctuary areas of
Kumbhalgarh, Raoli and Tatgarh falling in Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur and
Ajmer districts, a senior forest department official told IANS. "We have prepared the proposal on the basis of our vast research of the
area. We found that it has all the potential to be developed as a national park," said the official.
He added that combination of rocky terrains and dense forests was
suitable for a variety of animals, including panthers, leopards, bears,
deer and rabbits. "There is no dearth of prey if the tigers are shifted here," he said.
If implemented, the project is likely to give a major boost to the tourism industry in the state.
"The state government, after giving its nod, will issue a notification
announcing the area as national park. After that, work to shift some of
the villages will begin," he said. The desert state is one of the few states that can boast of two tiger
projects, a bird sanctuary and 25 wildlife sanctuaries. Source: IANS
Rajasthan High Court notice to govt over Jal Mahal
JAIPUR, February 25, 2011: The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the state government on the alleged
charges of corruption and nepotism in tender allotment of Jal Mahal and Mansagar lake.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice R S
Rathore issued notices to the chief secretary, secretary, JDA, commissioner,
JDA, secretary, UDH, chairman-cum-managing director RTDC , CEO Jaipur
Nagar Nigam and Jal Mahal Resorts Pvt. Ltd. while hearing two PILs filed
by one Dharohar Bachao Samiti and another organisation. It was brought to the notice of the court that the old building of Jal
Mahal is an important heritage of Jaipur situated in the midst of Mansagar lake. "Both the lake and the Jal Mahal were previously declared
a protected monument on September 23, 1965 and subsequently due to ulterior reasons the same were denotified on November 18, 1971. Both the
lake and Jal Mahal were then handed over to Jaipur Municipal Corportation
(JMC) and now a major portion of the lake has been parted
with for the construction of a seven star hotel which is illegal," alleges the petition.
The court was told on Thursday that the Mansagar lake will
be filled with sand to deplete its groundwater level and reduce the water storage by 33% and since the lake is the only natural source
within the urban limits, the same needs to be protected from being ruined in the name of mordenization and tourism.
The petitioners have also tried to attract the attention of the court
towards the fact that the Kanota Dam and Jamwaramgarh Dam near Jaipur
have already dried up and if no preventive measure is taken, then Jal
Mahal and Mansagar too will loose their identity.
24 killed in road accident in Nagaur, Rajasthan
Jaipur, February 14, 2011 (UNI): As many as 24 people were killed and eight others injured in a head-on
collision between a pick-up van and a truck near Kuchera in Nagaur district of Rajasthan this afternoon, police said here.
The ill-fated van was carrying pilgrims back home to Lavari in Jodhpur
district after paying obeisance at Butati dham when it rammed into the
truck, about four kms from Kuchera. While 21 people died on the spot, three of the injured succumbed later
on, police sources said, adding that the deceased included 16 women, six
girls and two men. The injured were admitted to a hospital in Kuchera from where they were
referred to Nagaur and Jodhpur, the police added.
Shri
Gehlot asks Minister to quit for his remark against President Pratibha
Patil
Jaipur, February 10, 2011 (PTI) :Rajasthan Minister Ameen Khan, who has created a controversy by stating
that Pratibha Patil was “rewarded” with the President post for her
loyalty to the Gandhi family, has been asked to resign. Sources said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asked the Minister of State for
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj to put in his papers. Mr. Khan has
since denied having made the remark. The sources said Mr. Gehlot, who is in Delhi, discussed the issue with
Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel and
Union Minister Mukul Wasnik in charge of the party affairs in
Rajasthan. The Chief Minister is also understood to have talked to the President
and expressed regret over the remarks made by Mr. Khan.
Addressing party workers in Pali district on Tuesday, Mr. Khan
reportedly said Ms. Patil did not ask for any position but was made President for her loyalty to the Gandhi family. He also cited instances
of her association with Indira Gandhi. A section of the local media quoted Mr. Khan as having said that Ms.Patil was so dedicated that “she used to make tea and cook food at
Indira Gandhi's residence” and because of her honesty, devotion and
loyalty, she was now President of India
State,
BPCL ink MoU to market products from the proposed refinery.
JAIPUR, February 8, 2011: The state government set the ball
rolling for an oil refinery at Barmer signing a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with state-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(BPCL) for marketing the products from the proposed refinery.
According to the deal, BPCL will lift 75% of the volume of
marketable petroleum products, an official statement said here on
Monday. The marketing agreement comes at a time when there is no
clarity even about the investors in the project and on many other
important specifics. So far, it is only the state government, which
has committed to pick up 26% interest in the project.
The tie-up with the oil marketing company is one of the
recommendations proposed by the S C Tripathi committee that
conducted a feasibility study for the refinery. In the report, the
panel had said that a 4.5 to 6 million tonne refinery in Barmer is
feasible if the state government offers fiscal incentives.The
proposal for a refinery was the brainchild of ONGC, which also owns
a 30% stake in the Cairn oilfield. But Cairn India, the majority
partner, had made it clear that it wouldn't be involved with the
project in any manner. ONGC developed a cold feet to go it all
alone.
Forests for Water and Wetland - Slogan for World Wetland Day
Jaipur, February 2, 2011 (PIB): The World Wetland day will be celebrated tomorrow. The 2nd February
marks the date of adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February,
1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Capsian Sea.
Tomorrow it is a special day as it is celebrating 40th anniversary of
Ramsar convention. This year's slogan is "Forests for Water and
Wetlands". This will allow us to look in our lives including forested wetlands and the special benefits they bring in our
lives, the role of forests and the role of forests in how our wetlands function.
Government agencies, non-governmental organizations and people at large
involve in activities to raise awareness about this. The main function
of the World Wetland Day of the Ministry will be celebrated at Bharatpur
Sanctuary, Rajasthan tomorrow.
Padma Shri honours for Poonia, Irrfan and Deval
JAIPUR, January 26, 2011: Rajasthan had its proud moment on Tuesday
with three persons from the state featuring in the list of Padma Shri
awardees announced a day ahead of Republic Day. Commonwealth gold-winning discus thrower Krishna oonia, actor Irrfan
Khan and poet and translator Dr Chandra Prakash Deval have been named for this year's award. However, Deval sounded happy, but added he wished the Rajasthani
language also got the place it deserved. "I would like to see Rajasthani
getting this kind of recognition. It of course makes one happy when to
get such awards, but what about the language," he asked.
Reliance Communications to launch 3G services in Rajasthan
JAIPUR, January 24, 2011: Telecom service provider Reliance
Communications today announced to launch 3G services in 12 cities of
Rajasthan , including Jaipur within a month. "Demonstration of 3G
capabilities at Jaipur is an integral part of our vision 2015 of creating
a 'Wirefree India', built upon the affordable 3G for all platform,"
Vinay Chandok, Hub Head-- Gujarat and Rajasthan, Reliance Communications,
told reporters in a press conference. He said the third generation (3G)
services will be launched within a month in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Bikaner,
Ajmer, Udaipur, Sri Ganganagar, Bhiwadi, Alwar, Pilani, Pali and Bhilwara.
Chandok said the range of services to be offered includes video calling, mobile TV, video streaming.
All the applications will be accessed at superfast speeds
ubiquitously on a variety of mobile and personal computing devices, for which the
company will make available different customised plans for different users.
Rajasthan cabinet clears proposal on child protection
JAIPUR, January 20, 2011: The state cabinet on
Wednesday cleared the proposal for establishing the ` Rajasthan State Child Protection
Society', which would be funded under the Centre-sponsored Integrated
Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). The society was be registered under the Rajasthan Society Registration
Act, 1958 and would focus on protection of rights of vulnerable children,
including orphans, street, homeless and destitute children. Under the
state committee, sub- committees at the district, blocks and village levels will be set-up.
The society will prepare a comprehensive action plan and would work such
that the children do not have separate from their families. A memorandum
of understanding to set it up was signed early in 2010. The cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Ashok
Gehlot, was held at the CMO on Wednesday. Apart from reviewing several projects, it also
decided to amend Section 19 of The Rajasthan Land Reforms and Resumption of
Jagirs Act, 1952. According to the new amendment, which will be tabled
in the assembly, the untilised land which was acquited from former jagirs for the development of the second phase of Indira Gandhi Canal,
will now be used for other projects.
The cabinet also reviewed the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) for the slum
dwellers and urban poor. A five-year plan for a slum-free state would be
prepared under the project and the state government has decided to launch iton the lines of the
Centre. The preliminary work for the project and the survey of slums which came up before August 15, 2009 is on.
The state has completed the survey of such slum settlements in 115 towns
of the184 in the state. It is on in 17 towns and would be completed by
Februry 15, 2011. The government had requested Rs 40 crore for the preliminary work, of which an approval for Rs 5.62 crores has been
received.
BSNL to set up call centres across the country
AJMER, January 16, 2011: State run telecommunications giant, BSNL will set up call centres
across the country to expeditiously address grievances of its consumers,
Minister of State for IT and Telecom Sachin Pilot said here today. Inaugurating the first call centre of BSNL in
Rajasthan, Pilot said the government sought to redress the complaints of the telephone and other
users of the company's services in the quickest possible time.
At present the whole of Northern India is being served by Gurgaon call
centre which receives about 60,000 calls a day from Rajasthan Circle.
This call centre is also expected to provide employment opportunity for
the youths of Ajmer and other parts of Rajasthan. Pilot said such call centres will be opened in other states of the country.The call centre here is the second of its kind in Northern India.
Gujjars end quota agitation
Jaipur, January 5, 2010 (IANS) The Gujjar community in Rajasthan late Wednesday called off their 17-day-old agitation for reservation in government jobs and said they had reached an agreement with the state government after several
rounds of talks. 'We have called off the agitation. We have reached an agreement,' said Roop Singh, spokesperson of the Gujjar Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti that has been spearheading the agitation for five percent reservation in
government jobs since Dec 20. A 36-member Gujjar team held another round of talks Wednesday with the Rajasthan government even as the community continued to block rail tracks for the 17th day as part of their protests.
The delegation led by retired army colonel K.S. Bainsla held negotiations with a three-member ministerial committee to end
the dragging row.The community's campaign for five percent reservation in government jobs entered its 17th day Wednesday, disrupting
train services in parts of the state. Large groups of Gujjars squatted on rail tracks near Bayana in Bharatpur district -- a community stronghold -- and blocked trains.
A meeting between Bainsla and Rajasthan government officials had remained inconclusive Tuesday. The Rajasthan government in 2009 announced five percent reservation for Gujjars and 14 percent for the economically backward
classes, taking the total reservation in the state to 68 percent -- more than the 50 percent cap set by the Supreme Court. In a ruling Dec 22, 2010, the high court struck down the job quota for
Gujjars. The Gujjars had staged violent protests between 2006 and 2008 in which many lives were lost.
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