Moily colluding with RIL to make a mockery of arbitration: Dasgupta

The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Centre and the Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily six weeks to file their response to a public interest litigation petition against the government decision to double, from April next, the price of the KG basin gas to $8.4 per million British thermal unit. Vahanvati, a Bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam and Justices Ranjana Desai and Ranjan Gogoi granted time also to the Petroleum Ministry, NIKO Resources Ltd. and BP Exploration Limited on the petition of senior CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta and the former Power Secretary, E.A.S. In the new application, it was alleged that the Minister was determined to collude with RIL, NIKO and BP Exploration so as to make a mockery of the arbitration proceedings. The petitioners sought a direction to RIL and NIKO to forthwith relinquish those areas of the KG basin as recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor-General; for appointment of a third arbitrator and completion of the arbitration process in six months; fixing the price of domestically produced gas in rupee and not in any other currency; and for staying the decision to increase the price of natural gas until after the disposal of the writ petition.