Jaipur : The BJP government in Rajasthan today dissolved the Rajiv Gandhi water management mission due to formation of a parallel body set up under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

An order issued by the Raje government said a high-level Rajasthan State Water Resource Council has been set up to look into the matter and therefore the Rajiv Gandhi water mission stands dissolved.

The new council would ensure water availability for irrigation and drinking besides maintaining the water bodies specially traditional step wells, reservoirs, canals and dams.

A world-class international convention centre, complete with a 2,000 seater auditorium, plus hotels and a golf course will be built here as part of a major effort by the Rajasthan government to boost conference tourism.

Work on the Rs.3-illion project, had aimed at filling up the lacunae caused by the absence of a big conference hall or an auditorium in the state, would be expected to start shortly, an official said. It would come up on 125 acres in Dehmikala near Bagru, 32 km away from here, Jaipur he said.

The central government had already sanctioned Rs.500 million for the convention centre, to be built on a public-rivate partnership basis.

Jaipur : With the sun hovering at a scorching 43-48 degrees Celsius, life in Rajasthan has been severely affected as is evident in the slowing down of traffic, tourism and trade.

The maximum temperature in this state capital Monday was 44.7 degrees Celsius. Day as well as night temperatures are 5-6 degrees Celsius above normal and unofficially the heat wave has claimed at least seven lives in the past three days.

According to meteorological officials here, there will not be any major change in temperature in the next 24 hours.

Large parts of North India are reeling under a severe heat wave.

The days are scorching and the nights are not much better either.

The states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu, Bihar and Tamil Nadu are the worst affected.

In Delhi, the maximum temperature touched 44.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which was five degrees above normal, and its only expected to get worse in the next few days.

The intense heat has killed at least 17 people across India. On Sunday, one person succumbed to the severe heat in Hissar in Haryana while three died in Uttar Pradesh.

JAIPUR: Indian Railways will open hotels in four Rajasthan cities to meet the growing tourist demand.

These hotels, to be called Rail Ratan Hotels, are to be opened near stations at Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer, the four prime tourist destinations. Rajasthan received over a million of foreign and two million domestic tourists in 2005.

The railways will provide only the land for the hotels, which would then be operated by private firms. These firms are to be chosen through tender.

MUMBAI: Satellite radio firm World Space has launched its subscription service in four more Indian markets- Goa, Jaipur, Nagpur, and Trivandrum.

Collectively representing a population of over 6.2 million, including approximately 2.6 million consumers who fall into World Spaces targetted listener base, the new market launches expand the companys target market penetration to nearly 38 million consumers nationwide.

To ensure ready access for subscribers in the new service areas, World Space satellite radios are already available in nearly 100 retail outlets across the markets, with more expected in the near term.

Jaipur: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advanis Bharat Suraksha Yatra or political rally will enter this Rajasthan capital Tuesday.

Party activists would accord the former BJP chief a traditional welcome at Dudu village, 60 km from here, Tuesday evening. The yatra would be then taken to Chaura Rasta in the form of a procession that would convert into a gathering that Advani is slated to address.

Several party workers Monday carried out a vehicle rally in several parts of the city ahead of Advanis engagements in the city.

Jaipur : The citys medical college students Thursday protested against a government move to give 27 percent reservation to OBCs (other backward classes) in central universities and other institutions of higher learning.

Students from SMS Medical College, Mahatama Gandhi Medical College and Mahatma Gandhi Nursing College took out a rally from the SMS Boys hostel against Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh.

Jaipur : BJP leader L K Advanis ongoing Bharat Suraksha Yatra is not getting public support and it has become a flop show, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today said.

Rubbishing Advanis concern over terrorist violence during the UPA governments rule, Gehlot told reporters here that several major terror incidents, including attack on Parliament, took place when the BJP leader was the Union Home Minister.

NOIDA : The Armys ambitious welfare housing programme received an incremental boost today with Army Chief General JJ Singh laying the foundation stone of a 2,600 unit housing scheme at Greater NOIDA near the capital.

The Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) scheme, spread over 95 acres and having a total of 2,600 dwelling units, is expected to be complete by 2007 – construction work on 844 units has already commenced. The second phase of the scheme will have 720 dwelling units (DUs).

The entire project is being developed as a self-sufficient township having facilities like a Club, Swimming Pool, Shopping Complexes, Schools, Hospitals, Community Centres and the like. The complex will also have large open areas effectively landscaped with parks and fountains.

So far, AWHO has constructed 14,922 dwelling units at various places and handed them over to Army personnel. Besides, a total of 4,288 dwelling units are under construction at present at ten different stations in India – planning is also in hand for the construction of 3,242 more dwelling units in 13 stations.