SOG Probes Whether Accused Are Linked To Int’l Smugglers

Jaipur: The special operations group (SOG) of state police on Tuesday busted a racket involved in smuggling of turtle shells and arrested two persons. The duo were held while they were trying to sell 65 shells to some buyers. The estimated price of these shells is nearly Rs 50 lakh in the international market. The SOG got a tip-off in August that some people belonging to the Kalbelia tribe in Kota are planning to catch and sell turtles once the monsoon recedes. Accordingly, the SOG formed a team and sent decoys to the smugglers, said sources.

JAIPUR: A 43-year-old swine flu patient who was admitted to a private hospital here, a week ago died on Monday. This was the first HIN1 death of the season in the Pink City, confirmed the officials of medical and health department on Tuesday. In this season so far three persons have died due to H1N1 in the state.

Mohan Lal Sharma was tested positive a week ago and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital. A resident of Sanganer, Sharma had been in the hospital for a week.

JAIPUR: The civic body, after facing strong criticism for delaying the door-to-door garbage collection scheme, is now finally set to launch it. The contracted A to Z firm will start door-to-door garbage collection from Wednesday in the city.

While talking to media, Jaipur Municipal Corporation's (JMC) chief executive officer (CEO), Lok Nath Soni said, "In the first phase the door-to-door garbage collection will be started in 21 wards of the city from Wednesday." He added "There are 17 wards of Hawa Mahal east and west zone and 4 wards of Civil Lines zones which will be included initially."

Jaipur: Urban housing and development (UDH) principal secretary, G S Sandhu expressed his disappointment over the slow pace of work for cleaning the city’s big drains during the review meeting on Monday.

After heavy rainfall the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) and Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) had initiated repair and cleaning work for the Brahmpuri Nullah, Nag Talai Nullah and other drains in the city, however, as only half the work is done, the secretary was upsetThe JDA officials said that the work to clean Galta pond has been completed.

Jaipur: The UPA’s mid-day meal programme in Rajasthan is in tatters. The recently released Monitoring Institutions (MIs) report has revealed glaring anomalies in implementation of the scheme with many children in the state not getting any benefits and some actually going hungry.

According to a report, the scheme is not being implemented on a regular basis in some schools in the Pali district. The findings, based on figures between April 2011 and September 2011, were shared recently by the Union HRD ministry.

Mumbai Cairn India’s plans for enhancing oil production from its Rajasthan block is likely to drive the domestic crude oil production by 3.1% in FY13, a Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) survey has said.

“The domestic crude oil production is likely to grow by 3.1% in 2012-13. (Even though) the oil output during the April-July period declined 0.6%, the growth is likely to recover in the coming months mainly on account of Cairn India,” CMIE said in its monthly report.

Even as protests continue at Kudankulam, sources here said the Government had for the first time agreed to allow an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team to conduct safety review of two atomic power plants located in Rajasthan.

“Public confidence has to be built by transparency. We are getting legislation to strengthen regulatory bodies and as a related measure the IAEA’s Operational Safety Review Team [OSART] will visit Rajasthan in November. India will study its report and take on board suggestions. The Government’s position is that more needs to be done on safety aspects,’’ added the sources.

Villages in Ajmer district agree to conserve grounds for Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican

Endangered birds, the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and Lesser Florican, are back in their annual breeding lands in Rajasthan’s Shonkaliya region in Ajmer district. Though the population of GIB, Rajasthan’s State Bird, cannot be termed sizeable the Lesser Floricans are in greater numbers this time with the males among them displaying their plumes jumping up in the air to attract the females in the middle of the breeding season with copious rains in the area coming as an extra incentive.

The Rajasthan Government has issued notices to all major mobile phone operators asking them to keep radiation from their towers within the newly prescribed limits. Installation of towers at school buildings, playgrounds, hospitals and within 500 metres of the jail premises has been banned.

State Principal Urban Development and Housing Secretary G. S. Sandhu said here on Sunday that a new policy on mobile phone towers adopted by the State Government had set the limit for radiations emitted by the towers of both 2G and 3G technology to 10 per cent of their previous levels. The policy, which will be in force till the by-laws are framed, has been sent to all urban local bodies.

The first tunnel close-pit mining in Rajasthan started here in Kayar area to produce zinc and allied minerals, including silver and lead, will bring pump in Rs 1 crore every month initially as royalty to government's coffers.

The first production of mineral from the Kayar mine was sent to a refinery in Rampura Agucha of Bhilwara district. Kayar has the third largest zinc deposit in Asia with an expected 35,000 metric tonnes of the mineral.