JAIPUR: The ravines of Chambal, known for being the hideout of dacoits, may finally get to witness some positive growth indicators.

At least that's what chief minister Ashok Gehlot's budget allocation for the agricultural sector envisions. The budget has drawn up an ambitious plan of leveling the land along the Chambal so that it could be allocated to people without farm land in the area. By providing them an alternate source of livelihood the government wants to ensure that people stay away from joining dacoits. The budget has earmarked Rs 25 crore for the leveling work.

Jaipur: Like charity begins at home, CM Gehlot, obviously remembered his home turf Jodhpur. The sun city will be developed as a solar city and the chief minister made a budgetary allocation of Rs 100 crore for its development. As part of the plan, the government announced a roof top power generation scheme.

The Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has identified 54 places in the country to develop solar cities with three of them being in Rajasthan — Jaipur, Jodhpur and Ajmer. While proposals for preparing master plans for Jaipur and Ajmer are yet to be approved by the MNRE, the same has been cleared for Jodhpur.

JAIPUR: In what will be the biggest ever investment in the state, the board members of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) approved the Rajasthan government's proposal to set up the 19th oil refinery of the country in Barmer.

"The memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up the refinery at Barmer will be signed in Jaipur on March 14 in the presence of Union minister of petroleum and natural gas Veerappa Moily," said a delighted state chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Talking to TOI, Gehlot said that the proposed refinery is a landmark achievement for the entire state and it will translate into revolutionary growth. "I immediately called Mr Moily and welcomed the decision," he added.

JAIPUR: On the eve of the state budget presentation, wildlife activists have pinned their hopes on chief minister Ashok Gehlot to announce some steps towards wildlife conservation.

Some are hoping that the long neglected state bird, the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), will finally get its share in the budget. Rajasthan was once home to 50% of the bird population which has now come down to just about 100.

JAIPUR: With increase in allocation of funds for projects running under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in the Union budget, the Jaipur City Transport Services Limited (JCTSL) has geared up to submit proposals for 500 new low-floor buses.

Already 100 new buses have been added to the JCTSL making the total strength of low-floor buses to 400. The additional 500 new buses will boost the public transportation in Jaipur.

JAIPUR: The proposed National Livestock Mission, supported by a budget allocation of Rs 307 crore, is likely to strengthen the animal husbandry industry in the state. Rajasthan is among the leading states in livestock production and it contributes nearly 11% to the state GDP.

The livestock mission will help to attract investment and enhance productivity along with increasing the availability of feeder and fodder. The experts and farmers related to animal husbandry welcomed the step.

JAIPUR: The state government on Tuesday announced that all state-run commercial activities in the core areas of reserve forests would be discontinued.

The announcement came during the question hour in the assembly when the opposition strongly protested the running of RTDC's Tiger Den and other lodges in the core area of the reserve forest. With an aggressive opposition cornering the state government over the RTDC run commercial hotels in the core area, incharge minister Parsadilal Meena assured the house: ''RTDC run hotels, if any in the core area, will be shut down.''

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday defended the release of an input subsidy package worth Rs.600 crore for kharif crops to farmers and announced launch of a fresh assessment exercise to find out the damage caused to crops by the recent cold wave and hailstorm in some parts of the State.

Intervening in a debate in the Assembly during Zero Hour, he said the package announced at a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority on Sunday was only in connection with the input subsidy, for which the money was already available with the State Government. Only the norms for release of package were to be decided, he added.

Jaipur: Rajasthan has performed fairly well in providing two square meals in both rural and urban areas of the state.

State-run ONGC, which has a 30% stake in Cairn India-operated Rajasthan oilfields, has refused to share the cost of further exploration in the block that the government had recently allowed to help