Page 29 - Rajasthan

Nearly 180 million domestic tourists visited Rajasthan in 2023: Govt

Nearly 18 crore domestic and about 17 lakh foreign tourists visited Rajasthan last year, the state assembly was informed on Monday. According to a government reply in the Rajasthan Assembly, about 32.44 crore domestic tourists and over 22.20 lakh foreign tourists came to the state from January 2020 to December 2023 to visit its heritage sites. In the year 2023, more than 17.90 crore domestic tourists and about 16.99 lakh foreign tourists visited Rajasthan, the government said in its reply to a question raised by BJP MLA Kalicharan Saraf. A total of 1,51,17,239 domestic tourists and 4,46,467 foreign tourists visited Rajasthan in 2020, 2,19,88,734 domestic and 34,806 foreign tourists in 2021 and 10,83,28,156 domestic and 39,684 foreign tourists visited in 2022, the government said. Notably, the Covid pandemic had affected the tourism industry during the period from 2020 to 2022. MLA Saraf had asked for year-wise details of domestic and foreign tourist visits made in the state from .

Rajasthan govt turns to open market as power cuts hit irrigation

This is prompting the Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam to purchase electricity from the open market, sources in the state energy department said

18-year-old girl dies by suicide in Kota, second case in less than a week

The victim was to give the JEE test in a day or two. She lived at her family home in Shiv Vihar Colony in the city's Borekheda area

MP signs MoU of Rs 75,000 cr with Centre, Rajasthan for canal project

A tripartite MoU for the revised Parvati-Kali Sindh-Chambal-Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) link project, worth Rs 75,000 crore, was signed between Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Centre on Sunday. The MoU was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his Rajasthan counterpart Bhajan Lal Sharma, the MP government said in a release. After the signing of the MoU, Yadav said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this project, which has been pending for almost two decades, will now take shape. He said the project will benefit 13 districts of Chambal and Malwa region of MP. Water availability will increase in the dry belt districts of the state like Morena, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Bhind and Sheopur and the industrialisation of industrial belt districts like Indore, Ujjain, Dhar, Agar-Malwa, Shajapur, Dewas and Rajgarh will get a further boost, he said. Yadav said that the .

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan chief ministers meet Home minister Amit Shah

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his Rajasthan counterpart Bhajanlal Sharma on Sunday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and discussed various issues regarding their respective states. Yadav and Sharma took charge as chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, respectively, in December. "There was a meeting with the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Dr Mohan Yadav ji today. A meaningful discussion took place on various issues related to the development and good governance of the state," Shah said in Hindi in a post on X. The home minister said the Rajasthan chief minister also met him. "Taking forward the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, Bhajan Lal ji is doing positive work towards freeing Rajasthan from the misrule of the Congress and moving it towards a new path of progress," Shah said in another post in Hindi. "I am confident that under his leadership, Rajasthan will witness all-round development," he added.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan CMs hold talks on Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday reached Jaipur to meet his Rajasthan counterpart Bhajanlal Sharma to discuss the long pending Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. The chief ministers of both the states held a joint press conference to inform that both the governments were committed to solve the drinking and irrigation water issues of the people. "We will take the promise, which we had made with the people under the leadership of the prime minister, to the final stage very soon. There are some key issues, they will be included," Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma told reporters. He said that with the decision of both the governments, people of 13 districts will get drinking water and 2.80 lakh hectare of land will get water for irrigation. Addressing the press conference, Yadav said that an MoU will be signed for the benefit of the people. "I hope that by today evening an agreement will be ready and an MoU will be signed for the benefit of the people. It will

Drone surveys to be conducted in Rajasthan to curb illegal mining

As part of the ongoing statewide campaign against illegal mining activities in Rajasthan, drone surveys will be conducted in large mining areas so that such activities can be stopped. Mines Secretary Anandhi has given instructions to this effect in the meeting of the departmental officers on Saturday. According to the official statement, in the statewide campaign being run against illegal mining activities, instructions have been given to take action against illegal mining activities by conducting surveys through drones, if necessary, in large mining areas. In the meeting, she said that emphasis has been laid on eliminating the source of illegal mining activities so that these illegal mining activities can be effectively stopped. Anandhi held a virtual meeting with the officials of the Mines Department. She asked the revenue officers to take action in cases of illegal mining. It was told in the meeting that in Bhilwara alone, 70-75 cases of illegal mining have been identified and

LS polls: Election dept begins preparations in Raj with checking of EVMs

With the first level checking of the electronic voting machines, the Election department has started the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, an official said on Saturday. Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta in a statement said the Election department has started the process of preparations for the Lok Sabha elections in the state with the first level checking (FLC) of the electronic voting machines (EVMs). He said the first level checking of the EVMs is necessary for fair, free and transparent elections. Gupta said that as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India, the first level checking work of EVM/VVPAT machines for the Lok Sabha elections has been started by the engineers of the Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru, from January 27 in all the districts of the state. This work is likely to be completed on February 20, he added. Gupta said this work will be done in the presence of recognised national and state political parties. EV

French Prez Macron reaches Jaipur to join roadshow, hold talks with PM Modi

French president Emmanuel Macron arrived Thursday in this decked-up city, where he will spend several hours savouring the sites and perhaps some roadside chai -- before engaging in talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on strengthening India France ties. Macron, who is the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi on January 26, will spend several hours here, visiting iconic sites, including the hilltop Amber Palace nearby, and participating in a roadshow with Modi. The two leaders will hold official talks at Rambagh Palace hotel in the evening. The French delegation was received by Governor Kalraj Mishra and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma at the airport. Modi, who was on a visit to Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, was to reach Jaipur later. Macron was scheduled to visit Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. It will also be Modi's first visit to Rajasthan after the recent assembly polls, in which his Bharatiya Janata Party ousted the Congress government in the ...

French Prez Macron to arrive in Jaipur, will tour pink city with PM Modi

Macron will be on a state visit as the chief guest of India's 75th Republic Day celebrations at the invitation of PM Modi

Rajasthan HC dismisses PIL challenging swearing-in of deputy CMs

The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL challenging the "swearing-in" of Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa as deputy chief ministers by claiming that the Constitution does not recognise this post. Petitioner Om Prakash Solanki, a lawyer, had also sought cancellation of the appointments. A bench headed by Acting (designated) Chief Justice MM Srivastava held that there was no substantial material in the PIL and it was only a publicity stunt by the advocate. The court dismissed the PIL and also imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 to be paid by the petitioner to the state government. The PIL was filed on December 16, a day after Kumari and Biarwa took oath along with Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

Rajasthan aims to be leader state in providing water connections: Minister

Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Kanhaiya Lal Choudhary said the fast progress in the Jal Jeevan Mission is important for Rajasthan

Promises made in BJP manifesto will be delivered before time: Rajasthan CM

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday said the promises the BJP made in its election manifesto will be fulfilled before time. Sharma was speaking at a "Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra" camp organised at Bhanipura Gram Panchayat in Bikaner. He said through it is being ensured through this Yatra that the benefits of central government schemes reach every eligible person. "Our government will fulfil the dreams of the common people," the chief minister was quoted as saying in a statement. Sharma said in the public meeting that the yatra has been launched with the resolve to make India a developed nation by 2047. The chief minister said more than 2.75 crore people have participated in the camps organised in the state and got information about welfare schemes. Sharma said the promises made by the BJP in its manifesto for the Rajasthan Assembly elections 2023 will be fulfilled before time. The chief minister administered oath to the common people to realize the dream of mak

Rajasthan govt shuts down slaughterhouses, meat shops on January 22

Meanwhile, the Indian government has declared a half-day closure for all Central Government Offices, Central Institutions, and Central Industrial Establishments across the country on Monday, Jan 22

Industry gives call to regularise hotels in state's residential areas

Hotel owners feel that if their problems are resolved, Rajasthan will progress significantly in tourism

Raj: ED searches premises linked to ex-minister in Jal Jeevan Mission case

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday searched premises linked to former Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi and some others in a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission, official sources said. Last year, the federal agency had conducted at least two rounds of raids in the case related to the central government programme. The locations linked to Joshi, a former minister of the public health engineering (PHE) department, are being searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. Joshi was denied a ticket by the Congress to contest from the Hawa Mahal seat in Jaipur in the recently held assembly polls in the state. The agency had earlier claimed that several middlemen and property dealers "aided" officials of the Rajasthan government's PHE department to siphon off "illegally earned" money from the Jal Jeevan Mission. Probe found that contractors were involved in securing tenders pertaining to Ja

Highway Infrastructure Trust to acquire 12 road projects for Rs 9,005 cr

Highway Infrastructure Trust has signed definitive agreements with PNC Infratech Ltd and PNC Infra Holdings Ltd for acquisition of 12 road projects at an enterprise value of Rs 9,005.7 crore. The target portfolio comprise 11 Hybrid Annuity (HAM) concessions from NHAI and 1 toll road concession from Uttar Pradesh State Highways Authority (UPSHA) and represents about 3,800 lane kms in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, Highway Infrastructure Trust (HIT) said in a statement. Out of the 12 projects, 10 projects are currently operational and balance 2 projects are under-construction, which will be acquired post commencement of operations, the trust said. "We look forward to integrating these assets into our portfolio and to continue our journey of high-quality asset management backed by world class ESG standards," said Neeraj Sanghi, Chief Executive Officer, Highway Concessions One (Investment Manager to HIT). Gaurav Chandna, Head Strategic Finance, .

Rajasthan govt likely to seek PM Narendra Modi's help to promote tourism

Tour operator Sanjay Kaushik said that Rajasthan is very famous for its heritage and the state has the highest number of heritage properties in the world

ED arrests 5 people in money laundering case linked to Rajasthan paper leak

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has arrested five people as part of its money laundering investigation into an alleged teacher recruitment exam paper leak case in Rajasthan. Suresh Kumar alias Suresh Sau, Vijay Damore, Peeraram, Pukhraj, and Arun Sharma were taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on January 11, the agency said. They were sent to three-day ED custody by a special PMLA court in Jaipur, it said in a statement. The probe pertains to alleged paper leak case of senior teacher 2nd grade competitive examination, 2022 in Rajasthan. Former Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) member Babulal Katara and two other persons identified as Anil Kumar Meena and Bhupendra Saran were earlier arrested by the ED in this case. Arun Sharma provided 29 candidates (for whom leaked papers were arranged and who were appearing for the said competitive examination) to Anil Kumar Meena in lieu of Rs 2 lakh per candidate, th

Trade bodies, exporters in Rajasthan demand task force to boost exports

According to available government data, exports from Rajasthan touched Rs 70,000 crore in the 2022-2023. Trade pundits expect it to reach Rs 80,000 crore in 2023-2024