FM meets Deora, Moily on Ambanis' gas tangle

Amid a bitter public wrangling between the Oil Ministry and industrialist Anil Ambani on the gas dispute, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today held a meeting with petroleum and law ministers.

Neither Petroleum Minister Murli Deora nor Law Minister Veerappa Moily were willing to comment on the course of the 70-minute long discussion that incidentally was held after Anil accused the Oil Ministry of colluding with Reliance Industries (RIL), which he alleged was wanting to make a super profit of Rs 50,000 crore.

Petroleum Ministry, on the other hand, said that national assets (gas) could not be appropriated through a private family agreement.

It is understood that the meeting, where Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran and petroleum and law secretaries were also present, dealt with developments relating to the Oil Ministry's petition in Supreme Court seeking annulment of a gas supply deal between Mukesh-led RIL and Anil's group firm Reliance Natural Resources (RNRL) based on a family settlement.

Sources in the know said that the participants were unanimous that the Oil Ministry's petition was the right move.

The meeting was held in the backdrop of a continuing legal battle between the two Ambani brothers over supply of gas at $2.34 mmBtu, a price questioned by the Oil Ministry.

Deora refused to comment on the comments made by Anil, saying the matter was sub-judice. Even the Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey refused to join issue with Anil Ambani, saying the matter was sub-judice.