Govt has no info on ministerial conflict of interest in gas row

The Prime Minister’s Office does not have any information whether cabinet ministers who were part of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to decide on the price of gas from the Krishna-Godavari basin had declared if they had any conflict of interest with regard to Reliance Industries Ltd or the late Dhirubhai Ambani. The PMO has said so in reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query.

Is it not mandatory for ministers to declare their conflict of interests if they are part of an EGoM whose decisions may “economically benefit a corporate group,” Arun Agrawal, author of a book that refers to controversies surrounding the Reliance group, wanted to know. The PMO’s answer was ‘No’.

In its reply dated December 8, the ministry said, “This division is not having information regarding who were in conflict of interest in respect of having past financial dealings with RIL, or Dhirubhai Ambani or employment of their wards at any time in their life.”