Moily should not be given a legal relief: Dasgupta

Dasgupta says oil minister's name should not be removed as decision on gas price hike happened during the same time

A day after petroleum minister M Veerappa Moily requested the Supreme Court to remove his name as a respondent to the a public-interest litigation (PIL), CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta today said that he should not be given a relief as the decision on gas price hike happened during his time.   

 

Through the PIL, Dasgupta was looking at a rethink on the government’s decision based on Rangarajan formula. Earlier, Moily had denied that he stalled the arbitration between the RIL and the oil ministry to prevent the recovery of $1.005 billion from the company.

 

As per this, the prices of domestic natural gas would be increased to $8.4 per million metric British thermal unit (mmBtu), as against the current $4.2 per mmBtu. 

 

“He should be a respondent as he cannot shy away from his responsibility,” Dasgupta told Business Standard. Dasgupta’s counsel Colin Gonsalves informed that the next hearing would be on January 6, next year. “It is upon the court to decide on his accountability,” Gonsalves added. 

 

The PIL had also sought the apex court’s intervention in the appointment of a presiding arbitrator for a panel looking into RIL’s right to recover its investment in the KG-D6 block from gas sales, thereby completing the process within six months.

 

Dasgupta had alleged that the petroleum ministry was sitting on a penalty of $1 billion imposed on RIL in FY12 and also failed to implement relinquishment of 86% of the KG-D6 block area held by RIL.