Shah launches winter-grade diesel suitable for extreme winters for Ladakh Region

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 17, 2019, launched the first Winter-Grade Diesel outlet for Ladakh region through video conferencing, which will help address the problem facing the people due to loss of fluidity in Diesel fuel during extreme winter conditions. He said the winter grade diesel produced by Panipat Refinery for the first time has a pour point of  -33 degree Celsius and does not lose its fluidity function even in the extreme winter weather of the region unlike the normal grade of Diesel which becomes exceedingly difficult to utilise.

Motorists in high-altitude sectors like Ladakh, Kargil, Kaza, and Keylong face the problem of freezing of diesel in their vehicles when winter temperatures drop to as low as -30^o Celsius. Indian Oil has come up with an innovative solution to this problem by introducing a special winter-grade diesel. Pour point of a liquid is temperature below which the liquid loses its flow characteristics.

Speaking on the occasion, Shah said that the government led by PM Narendra Modi was committed since 2014 to bring the region of Ladakh at par with the rest of the country, which was neglected for the last 70 years. He said that the abrogation of Article 370 was a step in that direction. He also said that by bringing change in the status of Ladakh and the enhanced budget, all round development of the region has been ensured. He added that the newly introduced provisions of local taxation will also augment their financial resources, according to a PIB release.

Referring to a series of developmental measures taken by the Narendra Modi Government in the last 5 years including the Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line for electricity, 14 Solar projects for Leh and Kargil, Ladakh University, 2 new degree colleges, 5 new Tourist Circuits and Tracks for tourists and mountaineers, subsidised helicopter sewa and upgradation of District Hospital, Shah said that people of Ladakh, Leh, and Kargil now enjoy same rights and will be an equal partner in the development of the country.

Shah said that besides 9 MW Hydro power project, India’s largest Solar project of 7,500 MW with an outlay of Rs 50,000 crore will be completed in 4 years. This will not only bring development in the Ladakh region but will also create employment opportunities.

The Home Minister said that this Winter-Grade Diesel will not only smoothen the travel and transportation during peak tourist season in extreme cold, but will also help in giving a boost to tourism and supply needs of the people of the region helping in the overall economic development.

Tour and Taxi operators and the common man linked through the video-conferencing from Leh thanked the Union Home Minister for taking this historic measure and said this new version of Diesel will bring a New Dawn in the region.

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Member of Parliament from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, and other senior officials of the Home Ministry and Petroleum Ministry were present on the occasion.