Page 2 - Rajasthan

Jaisalmer bus fire: Toll rises to 22; probe launched into safety lapse

The death toll in the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway bus fire tragedy climbed to 22 on Thursday, with two more people succumbing during treatment, officials said. The Rajasthan Police detained two people, and a probe was launched into possible lapses in bus manufacturing and safety standards. On Thursday, while two people succumbed to injuries, one died en route to Jodhpur in an ambulance. DNA tests have confirmed the identities of 18 victims. One body remains unidentified. Of the 13 injured, the condition of three continues to be critical. Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shivhare said bus owner Turab Ali and driver Shaukat Khan were taken into custody for questioning. The bus body manufacturer, Manish Jain of Jodhpur-based Coach Vasaj, has already been booked, and his workshop sealed by the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Jodhpur. Shivhare said a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the case. "There were 35 passengers in the bus 22 died and 13 are

Rabi season: Farmers keen on gram, mustard sowing as wheat estimates fall

Good rainfall and soil moisture drive farmers in Rajasthan to shift from wheat to mustard and gram this Rabi season, with acreage for both crops set to rise.

Jaisalmer bus fire: Jammed door trapped passengers, bodies being verified

A jammed door in the AC sleeper bus that caught fire near Jaisalmer was the main reason for the high number of casualties, police said on Wednesday. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma personally reviewed the rescue and medical response, and called the incident "deeply tragic". Twenty passengers were burnt alive and 15 others sustained critical burn injuries after the private bus travelling to Jodhpur on Tuesday afternoon caught fire, barely 10 minutes after it left Jaisalmer. Kailash Dan, Additional SP, Jaisalmer, said the fire caused the bus door to get locked, preventing passengers from escaping. "Most of the bodies were found in the aisle of the bus, which shows that people tried to escape but couldn't because the door was stuck," he told PTI. The bus caught fire near the Army War Memorial. The Army personnel reached the site quickly and joined the rescue operations. The door had to be pried open, while a few passengers managed to escape by breaking windows. Water from a passing .

Bus fire in Jaisalmer: 20 dead, 16 injured; PM Modi announces ex-gratia

Twenty people were burnt alive and 16 were critically injured in Rajasthan when a private bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur suddenly went up in flames on Tuesday afternoon, police said. President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan condoled the loss of lives in the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the deaths and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. Rajasthan Police said the bus, carrying 57 passengers, left Jaisalmer around 3 pm. While it was traversing the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway, smoke began emanating from the vehicle's rear portion. Noticing it, the driver stopped the bus, but it got engulfed in flames within moments. Locals and passers-by rushed to the spot and assisted in the rescue efforts. Army personnel also assisted in the operation. Fire tenders and police were informed, and the injured passengers were taken to Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer for treatment. Police said 16 critically inj

20 passengers dead, 16 injured as private bus catches fire in Jaisalmer

Twenty passengers were burnt alive and 16 were critically injured when a private bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire on Tuesday, police said. According to police, the bus, carrying 57 passengers, left Jaisalmer around 3 pm. On the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway, smoke began emerging from the rear portion. The driver stopped the bus along the roadside, but within moments, the flames engulfed the vehicle. Locals and passers-by rushed to the spot and assisted in the rescue efforts. Army personnel also assisted in the operation. Fire tenders and police were informed, and the injured passengers were taken to Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer for treatment. Police said 16 critically injured passengers have been referred to a hospital in Jodhpur. Prima facie, it appears that the fire broke out due to a short circuit, police said. BJP MLA from Pokran Pratap Puri informed PTI about the death toll of 20 passengers. He said, "19 passengers died in the bus and one succumbed to burn .

ENGIE secures 100 MW solar project in Barmer from SECI in Rajasthan

Global energy company ENGIE on Friday said it has secured a 100 MW solar project in Barmer, Rajasthan, from the Solar Energy Corporation of India. Located in one of India's highest solar irradiance zones, the Barmer project is expected to be commissioned in 2027 and is a strategic addition to ENGIE's growing portfolio in Rajasthan, which now approaches 1 GW, a company statement said. According to the statement, ENGIE, a global leader in low-carbon energy and services, proudly announces the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for a 100 MW Solar Photovoltaic (PV) project in Barmer, Rajasthan. Amit Jain, CEO and Country Manager, India MD Renewables & Batteries India & South-East Asia, said in the statement, Our agreement with SECI marks a pivotal chapter in ENGIE's growing partnership in India and reflects our shared ambition to accelerate the country's clean energy transition. The Barmer project is focused on delivering ..

Agri department looks to fast-forward work on 'Rising Rajasthan' MoUs

According to the agriculture department secretary Rajan Vishal, projects to construct five new modern grain storage silos with an investment of ₹253 crore were approved in the meeting

Case of princely titles: Why abolished royal terms still stir legal debate

Privy purses once played an important role in facilitating the integration of princely states into the Indian Union after Independence, but the royal privileges and titles were later abolished

Centre okay ₹707 cr for Assam, Gujarat floods; ₹904 cr for fire services

A high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 707.97 crore of additional central assistance for Assam and Gujarat that were hit by floods and landslides in 2024. The committee has also approved Rs 903.67 crore for Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the expansion and modernisation of the state fire services. "A high-level committee, headed by the Union home minister, has approved Rs 707.97 crore of additional central assistance to Assam and Gujarat, affected by floods and landslides in 2024," an official statement said. The assistance has been provided from the NDRF, subject to an adjustment of 50 per cent of the opening balance for the year available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Of the total amount of Rs 707.97 crore, a share of Rs 313.69 crore has been approved for Assam and Rs 394.28 crore for Gujarat. Of the total outlay of Rs 903.67 crore given to Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and

6 patients killed in Jaipur hospital fire; kin protest staff negligence

PM Modi expressed condolences over the loss of lives and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Meanwhile, Rajasthan CM ordered a committee-led investigation into the incident

Rajasthan govt gets ₹23 cr financial approval to boost religious tourism

As per the plan, the funds approved by the finance department would be used on renovation and beautification work at various religious sites

Karnataka issues alert on cough syrups after child deaths in MP, Rajasthan

The Karnataka government has directed all enforcement officers to maintain strict vigil over certain cough syrups following reports of child deaths linked to their consumption in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In a circular dated October 5, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) said that in view of recent incidents where deaths have been reported in Madhya Pradesh following the consumption of Coldrif Syrup (Batch No. SR-13), manufactured by a Tamil Nadu-based pharma unit, the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department has prohibited the purchase, sale and consumption of the said batch in that state. Further, a few deaths of children have been reported in Rajasthan due to the consumption of Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Syrup IP, manufactured by Kaysons Pharma, Jaipur, it stated. "All enforcement officers in the state of Karnataka are hereby instructed to keep a strict vigil on the above drugs/batch number and similar combinations from manufacturers. Any stockist, distributor, ...

6 patients killed in fire at Jaipur's SMS Hospital; PM Modi condoles deaths

Trauma centre in-charge Dr Anurag Dhakad said 11 patients were being treated in the Neuro ICU when the fire erupted in the storage area, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit

Gehlot criticises Rajasthan govt over alleged child cough syrup deaths

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday hit out at the BJP government in Rajasthan over the alleged deaths of children after consuming cough syrup, accusing it of corruption and neglect. "Rajasthan used to be an example not only in India but also worldwide because in 2011, the Congress government had launched the free medicine scheme, which was later adopted by several other states and countries," Gehlot said. He alleged that it was "deeply shameful" that such an ideal scheme was being defamed under the BJP government due to deaths caused by cough syrup. "Instead of taking responsibility for these deaths, the state government is not even acknowledging them. This shows that corruption in the Rajasthan BJP government has reached a level where they do not even care about human lives," he said. At least three children have allegedly died after consuming cough syrup in different districts of the state. However, the government has claimed that the syrup alleged to have caused illnes

Rajasthan govt hikes DA by 3% to 58% for employees and pensioners

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Friday approved a 3 per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and dearness relief for pensioners, raising the rate from 55 per cent to 58 per cent with effect from July 1. The move, announced ahead of Diwali, will benefit nearly 12.40 lakh beneficiaries, including 8 lakh employees and 4.40 lakh pensioners, an official release said. Employees of panchayat samitis and zila parishads will also be covered. The chief minister approved the Finance Department's proposal soon after the Centre raised DA for central government staff earlier this week. "On the chief minister's directions, the state government has promptly cleared the hike for its employees and pensioners without delay," an official statement said. As per the order, the increased DA will be paid in cash with the salary for October, payable in November. The arrears for the three months from July to September will be credited to the employees' General Provident Fund

Cough syrup deaths reported in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh: Here's what we know

A health scare has resurfaced in India after multiple cases of child deaths were linked to cough syrups in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan probe child deaths linked to cough syrup

Drug authorities in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are probing child deaths linked to cough syrup supplied to government hospitals, with testing of samples and quality concerns

Rajasthan govt turns off road tax exemption for strong hybrid cars

The move comes roughly two months after NITI Aayog launched its India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2024

Rajasthan health dept rules out govt cough syrup link in child deaths

The Rajasthan Health Department has clarified that the recent deaths of two children in Bharatpur and Sikar districts were not caused by cough syrup distributed under the state's free medicine scheme, according to an official statement. Public Health Director Ravi Prakash Sharma said inquiry reports confirmed that in both cases, the children were administered the syrup at home without a doctor's advice. As per protocol, Dextromethorphan (DXM) drug is not prescribed to children, Sharma said in the statement released on Thursday and added that in both incidents, the doctors had not prescribed the drug. Health Minister Gajendra Singh had earlier ordered a probe into the matter after reports of poor-quality cough syrup surfaced. Following the order, the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) halted the supply and use of the drug, formed a three-member inquiry committee and sent some samples for testing at the state drug laboratory. However, in another case from Sikar,

Rajasthan govt doles out crop insurance to farmers amid heavy rains

Farmers have suffered heavy losses in parts of the state due to a flood-like situation because of heavy monsoon rains.