RIL decisions in good intent, open to corrections: OilMin

In the backdrop of the CAG severely criticising its decisions on RIL's KG-D6 gas block, the Oil Ministry today said none of its actions were taken with malafide intentions, but it may have erred in certain cases where it was open to a course correction.

"We would explain why a particular decision was taken. Why was it justified in those particular circumstances," Oil Secretary GC Chaturvedi said at a FICCI conference on energy security here.

"If any mistake had occurred, then it could be an error of  judgement. There is a difference between an error of judgement and decisions (taken) on the basis of some malafide intentions," he said, referring to the CAG scrutiny, but did not name RIL or KG-D6.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had in its September report sharply criticised the ministry for not exercising adequate oversight and control over procurements done by RIL and allowing the private firm to retain the entire 7,645 sq km block in the Bay of Bengal in violation of the contract.

Chaturvedi said when decisions are taken, no one is 100% sure of their correctness.

"Whosoever takes decisions cannot be 100% sure of correctness. There might be certain circumstances in which anybody's judgement may go wrong," he said. "It has to be looked at in the right perspective."

He said the CAG report is under the examination of the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) and the ministry's position on the decisions would explained to it.

"Earth is not going to shake just because somebody has objected. When we have taken a decision, we would have been sure of certain outcomes and we should be ready to project those things," he said.