Done `nothing unusual` on Baalu issue: PM

"There is nothing unusual. The minister (Murli Deora) has explained everything in Parliament," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function at his residence.

Asked whether he was distancing himself from the controversy, he shot back: "What is there to distance (from)?"

Deora told the Rajya Sabha that not a single cubic metre of gas was supplied to the companies owned by Shipping and Transport Minister TR Baalu's sons.

Making a statement, Deora said 10,000 cubic metres of gas to Kings India Chemicals Corporation Ltd and 4.5 cubic lakh cubic metres of gas per day had been allotted to Kings India Power Corporation Limited. These allocations were cancelled by the previous government on January 14, 2004.

In May 2005, when the new government took over, the PMO got a complaint from the Kings Power chairman, alleging that the company had been discriminated against. The PMO held a meeting and decided no relief could be given. The petitioner then went to court, the statement said, adding the PMO did not issue orders or instructions to help the company.

"Certain references were received from the PMO in a routine manner, without any recommendation, on the basis of a representation made by the company's director, Selvakumar Baalu," the statement said.

Significantly, the statement did not say a word in Baalu's defence, only shielding the PMO against any wrongdoing.

The statement said a single-judge bench of the Madras High Court ordered a reallottment within four weeks from the day the order was received. This order was not implemented and the company filed a contempt petition. Court cases were filed seeking a stay on the single-judge order.

The outcome of that case was that the single-judge order was set aside and the government was asked to decide on the application for gas allotment on the merits of the case. "Another case was filed in Delhi, which is going on, making the matter subjudice," the statement said.