The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) has denied having received any report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) experts on the flood and erosion problems of Assam.

The Rajasthan Cabinet has decided to amend the State's laws on exporting/transporting cattle in order to facilitate export and migration of the high quality Nagauri calves to other parts of the country. However, there is a catch: the bovines would be allowed to be transported to the States where a ban on cow slaughter already exists. Conceding the long-time demand of farmers from Nagaur district, the Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje decided to carry out amendments to the Rajasthan Cow Slaughter, Prohibition and Regulation of Temporary Migration and Export of Bovine Elements Act, 1955. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore, who briefed journalists later, said the Government had acted on the recommendations of a Cabinet committee headed by Home Minister G. C. Kataria in this regard. The amendments would allow export of Nagauri calves above the age of 2 years for agricultural and dairy purposes, he pointed out. Nagauri bulls are know for their quality and resilience and even in the current Assembly there has been an outcry from the MLAs from Nagaur district for lifting the ban on the sale and transport of calves. The ban made it unviable for the farmer to breed the Nagauri variety, which eventually was leading to its extinction, they had pointed out. More autonomy In another decision the Cabinet resolved to accept the recommendations of the A. K. Vaidhyanathan Committee to provide more autonomy to the cooperative bodies in the State. The State would carry out about a dozen amendments and insert Section 47 A in the Rajasthan Cooperative Act to facilitate the increased autonomy. The Cabinet also decided to launch urban development projects in 15 towns of the State with financial assistance totalling 273 million US dollars from the Asian Development Bank. The project, with a funding format of 70:30 (70 percent from ADB and the rest from the State Government and local bodies) would carry out schemes on drinking water, sewerage, drainage, road, flyovers, development of slums and heritage properties besides garbage management and improving fire-fighting. The beneficiary towns would include Alwar, Bharatpur, Sikar, Churu, Sawai Madhopur, Barmer, Jaisalmer and Jhalrapatan. Mr. Rathore said the Government proposes to amend the Rajasthan Financial Act, 2006, to relax conditions for filing petitions in the case of disputes over land tax assessment.

The Asian Development Bank Monday launched a multi-million dollars project to restore Cambodia's devastated railways in a key step towards the creation of a regional rail system. Approximately 600 kilometres of track destroyed during Cambodia's protracted civil war will be rebuilt at a cost of 42 million dollars, the ADB said.

A major part of London has recently been declared Low Emission Zone, where heavy-duty diesel lorries violating exhaust norms will be fined up to

Tourism in the hill state is likely to get a major boost with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreeing to provide financial assistance up to Rs 400 crore for developing the necessary tourism infrastructure.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Urban Development, has embarked on a Benchmarking and Water Utilities Data Book Project for 20 selected water utilities in India. These 20 utilities include 15 municipal corporations, two city boards, a municipal council, a local autonomous body and a private operator.

This report compiles in one volume a snapshot of ADB's strategies, assistance, and lending activities to address the environment-development nexus in Asia and the Pacific.

four senior officials quit the Asian Development Bank (adb) in July this year over the dilution of environmental and resettlement policy, triggering a crisis at the bank. All the officials were

ADB says the big cost of implementing safeguard policies is a hindrance in its business with members like India and China. That is why it wants to use safeguard mechanism of borrower countries. India and China are pushing the bank in this direction. "There is pressure from middle-income countries on ADB for easy and quicker access to loans. It takes two years now to decide on a project due to stringent safeguard policies,' says Hemantha Withanage of NGO Forum on ADB, a Manila-based group. "In its hardsell to...

in kerala, the ruling coalition, the Left Democratic Front, is divided over the Asian Development Bank's (adb) loan for urban improvement. An agreement was signed between the government and adb on

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