Govt files revised SLP, setting 'defects' right

The government today revised its petition on the Ambani gas dispute before the Supreme Court, restricting its prayer to that part of the private agreement that pertains to gas.

“The defects have been cured,” said an official connected with the case, adding parts related to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were amended.

The Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the government on on July 18 had sought to declare the Ambani family MoU which deals with government rights null and void. Sources said the SLP was withdrawn in the morning, but attempts to file a revised petition in the afternoon failed due to procedural inconsistencies. However, it was filed just before the registry was closed.

A decision to effect changes in the SLP emerged during a meeting of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee with the Oil Minister and the Law Minister on Tuesday.

The amendment to the SLP came hours after the Supreme Court expressed its inability to commence final hearing of the gas dispute between the Ambani brothers from September 1, although it said it would try to give an early date. The court said it would decide on the date of final hearing on September 1, the day when all petitions related to the dispute are scheduled to come up for consideration.

HC allows RIL to amend plea in NTPC suit
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court today allowed Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) to amend its plea in its suit against National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

Earlier a single-member Bench of the high court had given a similar order, against which NTPC had filed an appeal. A Division Bench led by Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar today dismissed NTPC's appeal. The suit between the two parties relates to their gas supply agreement.

RIL through the proposed amendment wants to bring on record the affidavit filed by the Central government in the RIL-RNRL case in the high court last year and to take a stand that RIL's bid for NTPC tender stands frustrated due to the government's policy. The High Court has given NTPC four weeks to appeal in the Supreme Court.