BARMER/JAIPUR: After oil, the deserts of Barmer are poised to produce methane gas.

Jaisalmer: Rajasthan’s desert region has gone from grey to green in little more than a month.

Kuala Lumpur Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), India’s biggest government-owned energy explorer, is considering bidding for part of ConocoPhillips Canadian oil sands holdings worth around $5 billion, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Houston-based company has been looking to sell assets in a number of countries including Nigeria as part of a global restructuring. ConocoPhillips recently completed the spin-off of its refining activities into Phillips 66, a newly created independent US company.

UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, will inaugurate the Rs 688.65 crore lift drinking water project in Rajasthan’s Barmer district on Thursday.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot discussed the State’s partnership programme with the European Union Ambassador and head of delegation to India Joao Cravinho here on Tuesday. Mr.

JODHPUR: After deployment of 115 border homeguard commandos for the security of the oil fields of Cairn India at Barmer, the Governor of Rajasthan Margaret Alva has declared this entire area prohibited through a notification. Any persons trespassing in this prohibited area will be prosecuted now on.

This measure is another step to ensure security of the oil fields by the state government. Barmer oil fields are contributing 30% to the total domestic oil production, which is set to grow further from the current 1.75 lakh barrel per day (bpd).

JAIPUR: The state government on Monday extended the status of scarcity affected areas to 3739 villages of 11 districts. These villages were given this status due failed rabi crop but the extension has been given after witnessing deficient rainfall. The relief activities in these districts villages will now continue till August 15, 2012.

Earlier in March, due to failure of Rabi crop 'scarcity affected' was declared in Ajmer, Barmer, Churu, Nagaur and Jaisalmer districts.

JAIPUR: The state government has declared drought in Jodhpur, Nagaur, Barmer, Bikaner and Jaisalmer districts on Wednesday. The five districts have been worst-hit by deficit rain and will remain in the status of 'drought-affected' from August 1 to July 31 next year.

As per the emergency relief plans, collectors of all the above districts have been asked to do an early assessment of the total losses. To get maximum aid, chief minister Ashok Gehlot instructed the officials to mention everything in detail in the letters that will be presented to Centre. He also asked them to take the assessment exercise of losses seriously. To gauge the situation in the state, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will visit Jaipur on August 3.

JAIPUR: Six new antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres will be opened this year in the state to provide free drugs to people living with HIV, as the National Aids Control Society (NACO) has approved funds for the purpose in its annual action plan 2012-13.

The new centres would come up at Bharatpur, Jhunjhunu, Barmer, Dungarpur, Nagaur and Jalore. The NACO has approved Rs 32 crore for preventing new infections, care support and treatment, institutional strengthening and strategic management information system. Last year too, NACO had approved almost an equal amount for the state.

Arduous & Lengthy Process To Obtain Admin Permission

Jaisalmer: Wind and solar power producing companies in the districts of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner are staring at the bleak prospects of projects getting delayed as they cannot deploy labourers owing to an existing ban on outsiders entering these border areas for national security reasons. The police stepped up surveillance after Jaisalmer subdivisional officer Ramesh Chandra Jainth under the existing rules issued an order on April 9 giving directions that outsiders have to take permission for entering the scheduled police stations areas.