JAIPUR: Preliminary study by civil organisations has shown that the state's special project of free distribution of hybrid maize seeds to farmers in the hopes of a rich harvest might have gone awry. The seeds have provided less than promised yields and, in many cases, they have not germinated.

The state government through funds from the National Agriculture Development Programme and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) has been promoting hybrid maize seeds to the tribal farmers on a large scale since 2009.

JAISALMER: Railway stations under the Jodhpur division will be lit up using solar energy soon under a plan being made in this regard. Discussions for the pilot project have already started and initially a few railway stations will be selected for this experiment, where solar panels will be put up to generate power supply.

Apart from this, work will be started on three types of action plan to eliminate unmanned railway crossings by 2015, Jodhpur division rail manager (DRM) R K Jain said.

ALWAR: The state forest department along with Wildlife Institute of India (WII) would soon be relocating a tigress to Sariska that had strayed into the Sultanpur area of Kota from the Ranthambore tiger reserve.

A team of experts from the WII and the state forest department are camping in Kota to trace the tigress.

JAIPUR: The BJP, on Monday, came down heavily on the Ashok Gehlot government on the issue of relief for farmers whose crops were destroyed due to extreme cold wave and additional funds to the tune

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court has asked the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) to submit its scheme for keeping the city clean. The directions were given to JMC CEO Lok Nath Soni who appeared before the court during the hearing of a petition filed on the issue on Monday. Soni has been directed to reappear before the court with the scheme details on Tuesday.

JAIPUR: Even with Holi round the corner and sale of colours picking up, no campaign to check the sale of harmful colours has yet been launched by the state government.

The medical, health and family welfare department has launched a campaign to check the sale of spurious and adulterated sweets but so far no such campaign to prevent the sale of colours with harmful chemicals has been launched.

JAIPUR: The population and size of slums and underdeveloped areas in Jaipur are swelling with increased migration of people from rural areas to urban. Presently, more than half of the city's population resides in urban areas.

But 10 years ago, as per the 2001 Census, more than half of the population lived in rural areas here. But the 2011 Census shows more people are now living in urban areas, and points that since 2001, people have been continuously moving towards urban areas for employment.

JAIPUR: In its efforts to make Rajasthan a slum-free state, the government has been able to secure funds from the Centre for construction of 6,666 concrete houses under integrated housing and slum development programme (IHSDP).

In a total project cost of Rs 211 crore, the Central government has agreed to fund Rs 103 cr for the construction of pucca houses for slum dwellers. Rest of the money will be paid by the state government and the beneficiaries. The project will be implemented at 94 slums in the state for which areas have been identified by the local self governance department.

JAIPUR: With seven of the 13 panchayats in Jaipur district being declared as notified area by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), the officials at the ground water department say it's about time the state strictly implements projects to recharge the groundwater level.

The state government should draw an integrated water resource management plan, and be strict in implementing the projects, an official said.

JAIPUR: Putting to rest the possibilities of constructing the elevated road from Pani- Pech to Collectorate Circle under Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project, phase II, the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has sent a revised proposal of Rs 590 crore to the Centre for the approval.

After the elevated road proposed by the state government from Collectorate Circle to Government hostel was shelved after facing strong criticism that it might cause damage to the heritage building along the route, the decision was even taken to drop the plan of constructing elevated under BRTS to send the revised plan without including elevated road was taken by the JDA.