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New Rajasthan initiative for water conservation

Special Correspondent

LoI signed with World Economic Forum

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Government has signed a letter of intent on the Water Initiative with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, following detailed discussions on evolving a business-community alliance in the water sector. The LoI was signed on Sunday during the WEF's annual meeting.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, attending the meeting, underlined the need for promoting water conservation.

The Commissioner of the Bureau of Investment Promotion, Mira Maharishi, signed the LoI on behalf of the State Government, while the Director General of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), N. Srinivasan, assured that CII would be an active partner in the alliance and would constantly steer the Water Initiative.

Ms. Raje -- accompanied by Irrigation Minister Sanwarlal Jat and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore -- participated in several sessions on water conservation, promotion of education and poverty alleviation in the global context during the event. She said the business houses could play a significant role in water conservation and threw light on "Jal Abhiyaan'' in Rajasthan connecting people with the water resource management.

Addressing a session on adolescent girls, Ms. Raje said the girls in the developing world were generally denied access to the same education and opportunities as boys and faced the burden of domestic work, marital violence, unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

Among others, the film actress and activist, Shabana Azmi, and Director of Oxfam, Barbara Stocking, addressed the session.

Earlier, the president of Nike Foundation, Maria Eitel, agreed to send a team to Rajasthan to find out the possible areas of cooperation with the State Government in the work for advancement of deprived girls following intensive discussions held with Ms. Raje. The U.S.-based foundation is presently working in Bangladesh, Zambia and Ethiopia.

Ms. Raje, participating in a session on Global Education Initiative, said Rajasthan aimed at universalising school education as part of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, with a special focus on the girl child. The Rajasthan Education Initiative includes the spheres of school sanitation and midday meals, application of information technology to education and evolving new and innovative public-private initiatives.

The Chief Minister also attended a working dinner on the topic "Moving up in India'' during her three-day visit to Davos.

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