Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhrara Raje has invited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as Chief Guest to inaugurate the Resurgent Rajasthan Summit being organised on 19-20 November, 2015.

Smt. Raje gave invitation to PM during her meeting with PM at 7 RCR on Monday. She raised various issues related to the central assistance keeping in view the peculiar conditions of Rajasthan.

The Chief Minister said Rajasthan be given the status of special state keeping in view the harsh climate, geographical conditions and the natural calamities. She urged the Prime Minister for the sanction of relief package of Rs. 11,886 crore under the norms of NDRF to provide relief to the natural calamity affected farmers of Rajasthan.

Smt. Raje requested to the Prime Minister to direct NABARD that, in the current financial year, District Central Cooperative Banks in Rajasthan should be allowed to get refinance at the rate of 50% as per the policy of NABARD at 2014-15 and NABARD further be directed to increase refinance on short term loans to 60% in 2015-16 in view of the recent adverse climatic conditions and its adverse impact on farmers of the state.

The Chief Minister raised the issue of representation of Rajasthan in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). She said till now Rajasthan has no representation in this board. She requested for rotating the post of member among sharing states so that Rajasthan gets its representation in BBMB and the state can secure its interest.

Mentioning the interlinking of rivers programme Smt. Raje said Rajasthan has enacted ‘The Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Act, 2015. She requested to PM regarding initiating dialogue with the Nepalese authorities for the diversion of surplus water of the Sharda River to Sabarmati River through Uttar Pradesh, NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat- Sharda-Yamuna-Rajasthan-Sabarmati Interlinking Project.

She urged the Prime Minister that provisions under NREGA be given complete flexibility so that State Employment Guarantee Council could be strengthened and any kind of works of local needs could be covered under NREGA.

Smt. Raje informed the PM that 3,85,987 Soil health cards have been distributed from December 2013 to April 2015 in the state. A campaign has been launched and about 55,000 soil samples have already been collected for testing for the financial year 2015-16, she said.

The Chief Minister said the Western Rajasthan offers maximum potential for solar power generation and Rajasthan shall become the biggest Solar Hub of the country in the near future. She said against the target of 25 GW the state has signed the MoUs for generating 32.7 GW solar power. She requested that in order to fully utilize the solar power to be generated, it is important that a robust transmission infrastructure is also put in place. She requested the Prime Minister that Power Grid Corporation of India be directed to set up evacuation system that can allow off-take of solar power from Rajasthan to other states.

Smt. Raje said that the state government has requested the Department of Atomic Energy to set up the state-of-the art Cancer Hospital in Jaipur on the lines of similar institutions set up in Chandigarh and Vishakhapatnam. She requested to the PM for positive consideration for this and said that the state was ready to provide land free-of-cost for this project.

Jaipur, 08 June 2015