HC asks Centre to comply at earliest with SC order on CNG to Gujarat

The Gujarat High Court on Friday directed Union government to comply at the earliest with the Supreme Court order directing it to supply compressed natural gas (CNG) to Gujarat at the same rate as it is given to Delhi and Mumbai under the administered price mechanism (APM).

A division bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) observed that already much time has passed after its judgement last year directing Union government to supply CNG to Gujarat under APM. The court giving last chance to union government directed it to file affidavit stating reasons for delay in compliance of SC order and in how much time it plans to comply to it. The matter will now be heard on October 18.

Court's ultimatum came after the union government sought 16 weeks time in order to comply with the directions of the Apex court given in its order of September 30. The Centre had said that it was planning to frame a policy to supply CNG to Gujarat at the same rate as it is given to Delhi and Mumbai, hence time was required. This demand was not entertained by the court, and the petitioners.

The Supreme Court on September 30 had directed the Union government to provide CNG to Gujarat on the same rate as it is given to Delhi and Mumbai. A bench of Justice H L Dattu and Justice M I Iqbal had upheld Gujarat high court’s order passed last year that the Centre should provide CNG to Gujarat at the price it supplies to Delhi and Mumbai, and dismissed the appeal filed by the Union government.

It had further directed that the state government will have to pass necessary laws to make it compulsory for all four wheelers registered in Gujarat to covert to natural gas.

The Gujarat high court on July 25, 2012 had asked the Centre to supply gas to Ahmedabad for domestic and vehicular under the APM. The order was pronounced based on a public interest litigation (PIL). The Central government  had appealed against this decision. The PIL was filed in 2011 by one Dhrangadhra Prakrutik Mandal which had alleged discrimination against Gujarat in allocation of natural gas. 

It had sought HC direction to the Centre to prioritize and diversify the unutilised natural gas from non-priority sector to the City Gas Distribution (CGD) for their domestic and vehicular usage, as directed by the Supreme Court in one of the cases to reduce the pollution level and cost of living.