Hindustan Petroleum’s Rajasthan refinery set for June 1 commissioning as restoration work accelerates

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Jaipur, May 29 (IANS) Restoration work on the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) at the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery at Pachpadra in Rajasthan’s Balotra district is progressing rapidly, with commissioning activities scheduled to begin from June 1, senior officials told during a high-level review meeting held on Friday.

The meeting was chaired by Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas and attended by senior officials of the state government, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL).

The review focused on the status of restoration work at the refinery and the overall progress of the integrated refinery and petrochemical project.

Officials from HPCL told the Chief Secretary that the restoration work on the CDU is being carried out as per schedule and has entered the final stages.

They added that commissioning operations will commence from June 1 and the offtake of petroleum products from the refinery is expected to begin within the next few weeks.

The review also noted significant progress in the commissioning of several other key refinery units, including the Diesel Hydrotreating Unit (DHDT), Propylene Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (PFCCU), Delayed Coking Unit (DCU), and the Motor Spirit Block (MS Block).

According to officials, these units are also nearing operational readiness.

Chief Secretary V. Srinivas said the commencement of refinery operations would provide a major boost to industrial growth and economic activity in Rajasthan.

He noted that the project is expected to strengthen the state’s position in India’s energy sector while also generating employment and investment opportunities in the region.

The Pachpadra refinery project, one of Rajasthan’s largest industrial ventures, is considered strategically important for petroleum refining and petrochemical production in Western India.

Once fully operational, the refinery is expected to contribute significantly to fuel supply and downstream industrial development.

Officials expressed confidence that the remaining work would be completed within the planned timeline, paving the way for the phased start of refinery operations in the coming weeks.

–IANS

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Additional District Magistrate killed by Pakistan shelling in J&K’s Rajouri

Jammu, May 10 (IANS) A senior civil servant was killed on Saturday in Pakistan shelling on civilian facilities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.

The confirmation about the killing of Rajouri Additional District Development Commissioner came from the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who on X said, “Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district and attended the online meeting I chaired.”

“Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling as they targeted Rajouri town killing our Additional District Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Thappa. I’ve no words to express my shock & sadness at this terrible loss of life. May his soul rest in peace.”

Pakistan has launched a massive missile or drone attack on Srinagar airfield and in the retaliatory response two Pakistani jets have been shot down in Srinagar, official sources said.

“The hunt is now on to trace the pilots of these downed Pakistani jets,” sources said, although an official confirmation is still awaited.

Pakistan has also hit the Rehari residential area in Jammu city in which a residential house and a number of parked vehicles have been damaged.

Heavy artillery shelling continued on Saturday morning along the Line Of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts.

Indian positions are effectively responding to Pakistan shelling on civilian facilities.

For the last three days, Pakistan had been carrying out drone strikes in Jammu and Kashmir.

Most of those drones were neutralised by the air defence system.

Two loud blasts occurred in Srinagar on Saturday morning while three massive blasts were heard in Akhnoor town of Jammu division.

The Police Lines in Poonch came under direct attack, though no casualties were reported on the Indian side in that specific incident.

Civilian homes, schools, and religious sites, including a gurdwara, a mosque, and a Geeta Bhawan, have sustained severe damage.

Over the past few days, at least 16 innocent lives have been lost, including women and children, with 59 others injured across the affected regions, including Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Mendhar.

The shelling has caused widespread panic, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate to safer areas.

Markets in Poonch have shut down, and educational institutions in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch remain closed.

A complete blackout was enforced in Jammu on Friday evening.

Authorities have closed all schools, colleges and universities in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that the situation would be reviewed on May 12.

All civil flights have been suspended from Srinagar airport after the Air Force took over the airport.

All Haj flights from Srinagar to Saudi Arabia have also remained suspended during the last three days.

–IANS

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Jaipur sees drizzle as western disturbances set to bring winter rains across Rajasthan

Jaipur, Jan 20 (IANS) While the capital city of Jaipur witnessed light drizzle on Tuesday, weather conditions across the rest of Rajasthan remained largely dry. However, moderate to dense fog was recorded at several places in the state, affecting visibility during the early morning hours and indicating changing winter conditions.

According to data from the Meteorological Centre, Jaipur, temperatures showed wide variation across the state. The highest maximum temperature in the last 24 hours was recorded at 30.4 degrees Celsius at Jawai Dam in Pali district, while the lowest minimum temperature stood at 4.6 degrees Celsius in Pali (AWS), showing the continued influence of cold nights despite daytime warmth in some regions.

Jaipur Meteorological Centre Director Radheshyam Sharma said that a new and strong Western Disturbance is likely to become active over parts of Rajasthan between January 22 and 24, bringing with it the possibility of winter rains (Mawath).

He further added that another back-to-back Western Disturbance is expected to affect the region between January 26 and 28, which could further influence temperature patterns and precipitation.

As per the forecast, January 22 may see light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in some parts of the Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions, as well as the Shekhawati region. On January 23, similar weather conditions are likely to prevail in the Bikaner division, Shekhawati region, and parts of the Jaipur, Ajmer, and Bharatpur divisions, increasing the chances of widespread winter showers.

The weather is expected to turn relatively dry again on January 24 and 25, with most parts of the state witnessing clear conditions. However, during this period, a drop of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures is likely, along with the formation of dense fog at isolated places, particularly during late night and early morning hours.

The Meteorological Centre has advised people to remain cautious, especially during foggy conditions that may impact road and rail travel. Farmers have also been asked to stay alert, as the anticipated winter rainfall could prove beneficial for Rabi crops in many regions.

–IANS

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Chaitra Navratri: Rush of devotees across temples continues on Day 6

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) Rush of devotees continued across temples in various parts of the country on Tuesday as people celebrated the sixth day of Chaitra Navratri.

The nine-day festival is dedicated to the nine forms of Goddess Durga. The sixth day is significant for the worship of Goddess Katyayani.

Speaking on the occasion, Pujari Vinod Mishra at Delhi’s Jhandewalan Temple, told IANS, “Today is the sixth day of Vasantha Navratri. On this day, Goddess Katyayani is worshipped. Especially, girls seeking a suitable life partner worship the goddess today.

A devotee who is a regular at the temple, said, “This time the crowd seems to be less in the morning though all the arrangements at the temple have been made well.”

Another popular shrine in New Delhi, Kalkaji Temple, also witnessed crowd of devotees as people gathered to offer prayers on the sixth day of the festival.

A priest at Kalkaji Temple, who is also a member of Shri Kalka Ji Mandir Prabandhak Sudhar Committee, said, “It is a very pleasant atmosphere. We have also made all the arrangements (for devotees) at the temple. Everybody here has contributed for the ‘seva’.”

Meanwhile, devotees sang devotional songs during their visit at Darshani Deodi, while on their way to offer prayers at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra.

A pilgrim who came with his family from Punjab’s Ambala, told IANS, “Though I come here after every three months but the ‘darshan’ of the goddess is most significant during Navratri.” He further added, “I pray for the health and well-being of the soldiers who guard our borders. They are safeguarding our country, may God protect them. We and the entire country stand by them.”

Another devotee added, “May the goddess protect the soldiers and their family. They keep safeguarding our country always, irrespective of whatever the season is.”

At Banaskantha in Gujarat, thousands of devotees thronged Ambaji Shaktipeeth since early morning, to catch a glimpse of the famous ‘Mangala Aarti’ at the shrine.

Chief Priest and Ghadipati of Ambaji Temple, Jayashilbhai Thakar, told IANS, “People from faraway places come here in large numbers to seek blessings of the goddess.”

A devotee who came along with his friends, said, “I along with my friends came here to take part in the ‘Mangala Aarti’. It was been such a great experience that it feels like the goddess herself has blessed us.”

Devotees also gathered at Mata Tekri in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas and thronged the temples of Maa Tulja Bhavani and Maa Chamunda on the sixth day of the Chaitra Navratri festival.

–IANS

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