Moily serving vested interests rather than nation, claims Gurudas Dasgupta

Communist-Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta on Friday accused Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily of serving vested interests rather than the nation.

"Moily is unduly trying to give benefit to a particular corporate house. He has been doing it all through his career after he became the oil minister. In a bid to help the corporate house, he has been bending laws and violating all laws," Dasgupta claimed.

"The question is simple whether the gas price should be increased as claimed by a particular corporate house to 8.4 or 8.8 dollar per mmBtu. In my opinion and that of the specialists, it will be tantamount to high over-pricing. If this is being allowed to the gas company, then the fertilizer and the power industry will suffer. Therefore, I have opposed it, and even, I had gone to the Supreme Court, when a particular case is pending in the apex court and when from several corners protests are coming. If he speaks in this way , then he is a man who is representing the vested interest and betraying the national interest (and) is not a worthy man to be answered at all," Dasgupta added.

Moily has made it clear that once the Election Commission lifts its model code of conduct on May 12, its order for the deferment of a new gas pricing regime based on the Rangarajan formula will cease to exist and a price hike would come into effect.