Rajasthan

Modi faces acid test

It could be the moment of truth for Lalit Modi. The high profile chairman of the Indian Premier League is locked in an acrimonious battle for the reins of the Rajasthan Cricket Association. Sanjay Dixit, a senior IAS officer in the Rajasthan government is providing Modi the kind of resistance that even Jagmohan Dalmiya could not pose to his authority.

A win or defeat may not immediately affect Modi's twin positions — the vice-presidency of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the chairmanship of IPL — but an adverse result would be an embarrassment for the jet-setting administrator of Indian cricket.

Braj areas should be developed: NGO

Claiming a success in influencing the Rajasthan government to ban all kinds of mining operations in the spiritually and culturally significant Deeg and Kaman tehsils of Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, the Braj Foundation, an NGO , has demanded a master plan for the Rajasthan part of Braj region.

Addressing a press conference in the city on Friday, the chief executive officer of the foundation and senior journalist Vineet Narain, advocating on the need of developing these regions in Rajasthan said, "Our foundation played a vital role in ensuring ban on mining in Rajasthan portion (Kaman and Deeg) of Bharatpur district. That is just the beginning."

Ten more ministers inducted into Rajasthan Cabinet

Ten more ministers inducted into Rajasthan CabinetJaipur, Feb 28 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expanded his two-and-a-half month old cabinet on Saturday.

State Governor S K Singh administered the oath of secrecy to ten ministers - two of cabinet rank and eight ministers of state at a ceremony in Raj Bhawan.

Dr. Jitendra Singh and Rajendra Pareek were sworn-in as cabinet rank ministers while Ram Lal Jat, Bharosilal Jatav, Ashok Bairwa, Mangilal Gharasia, Pramod Jain Bhaya, Babulal Nagar, Ameen Khan and Gurmeet Kunnar were inducted as ministers of state.

Honda Siel's Rajasthanunit on hold

Halves Greater Noida output to 200/day

Honda Siel Cars India has put on hold "indefinitely" the commissioning of its second manufacturing facility in Rajasthan amid a sales slowdown. The company has already halved production at the existing plant (Greater Noida) to 200 cars a day on a single shift basis against 400 being produced earlier and is using only about 55,000 units of the one lakh unit installed capacity at the site.

No wonder then that work on its Rs 1,000-crore facility coming up at Tapukara has been suspended for now.

UN lends a helping hand

State govt signs pact for proper implementation of welfare schemes

Rajasthan has become the first state in the country where experts from the United Nations (UN) will help in implementing the welfare schemes under district plans. The experts deputed by the UN will be advising on avoiding overlapping of efforts and wastage of time and funds while implementing the welfare schemes related to maternal health and primary education etc.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed recently between the government of Rajasthan and the UN for adopting a convergent approach in five districts namely Barmer, Sawai Madhopur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Sirohi.

Laid back and positive

yoga session“Mr Vyas, can we have a yoga session tomorrow at the Birla House at 7.30 in the morning?” “Yes madam, I will be there.” It is unusual of me to go to someone’s place and teach yoga, but in this case I made an exception because this was a request from no other than Lekha Poddar, herself—the scion of the Birlas, a great family, which helped me at the most critical phase of my life. Lekha is the daughter of GP Birla and sister of CK Birla, eminent industrialists of the country.

She is a pioneer in Rajasthan, turning heritage properties into hotels. She is extremely brilliant, sharp with a heart of gold. It made me nervous to think of teaching her yoga.

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