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Anil Ambani Dares OilMin

BW Online Bureau Nov 08, 2014

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[Industrialist Anil Ambani on Tuesday dared the petroleum ministry to take back the ownership of gas fields from RIL if it seriously believed that terms of the contract were violated by Mukesh Ambani-led firm, which he alleged was wanting to make a super-profit of Rs 50,000 crore. In a scathing attack on the ministry, Anil told the shareholders of group firm RNRL, "It is evident that the apparently biased stance commenced in 2006, coinciding with the changes in the ministry. "I'm sure all private companies in India wish that if they make commercial decisions, they wish to get out of, they too had a saviour to help bail them out as in the case of RIL." While Murli Deora, whose ministry has sought annulment of the gas supply contract between RIL and RNRL in the Supreme Court, declined to comment, Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey hit back saying that Anil's gas pricing formula would make the country subservient to RIL. Alleging volte-face by the petroleum ministry, Anil said that though it stated in Parliament that it had no role in commercial dispute or in fixing the sale price of the gas, it has now gone to the Supreme Court challenging a commercial contract between two corporate entities. "The bogey of sovereign ownership is being raised with the sole purpose of attempting to bail out RIL and help them renege on their contractual commitments," he said. Emerging from a meeting with Pandey and other ministry officials, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran said, "(The) government is not partisan. We have been seeking to protect public interest. "We can't be answering questions he (Anil Ambani) raises. He is a private individual. He is free to make whatever comments he likes. (The) government has its own limitations." Meanwhile, private television channel CNBC TV-18 quoted RIL councel Harish Salve as saying that the basic discipline of not drawing matters pending in court into public debate should be followed. "Enough has been said about the case for public information, now I feel it is best left to the courts. RNRL counsel has promised to prove in 15 minutes that the government is in Mukeskh's pocket, let's leave it to court to decide this," he said. Pandey said that according to the family MoU "after 28 mmscmd to RNRL, all of the remaining gas volumes from KG-D6 and also other blocks of RIL are to be split between Mukesh and Anil Ambani in 60:40 ratio". On charges that the oil ministry exceeded its brief in filing the SLP, he said, "Everything has happened on the advice and assistance of the counsel appointed for the purpose by the Ministry of Law. All procedures in this regard have been met." (PTI)