NEW DELHI: CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta, who has been alleging that the petroleum ministry under M Veerappa Moily has been favouring Reliance Industries on gas pricing, on Monday wrote to the Election Commission that the government had not withdrawn the notification on price hike despite the panel's orders to defer it till the end of elections.
In his letter to CEC V S Sampath on Monday, Dasgupta blamed Moily for
not acting on the EC order and said, "You would kindly recall that the
Election Commission had directed the government to defer the price hike
of natural gas from $4.2 to $8.4 per mmbtu, until the end of elections,
through its order (24/3/2014), in view of the model code of conduct."
"Despite your orders, the petroleum ministry has not withdrawn the notification for the price hike, even though 20 days have passed since the orders were issued. It is also reliably learnt that Veerappa Moily (petroleum minister) has been deliberately delaying the withdrawal of the notification for increasing prices even though officials of the ministry had put up the file to him more than 15 days back, by sitting on the file and not taking any decision on the same," the Left leader said.
He warned that taking advantage of this, "Reliance is arm-twisting fertiliser companies to sign agreements with it based on the increased price of $8.4 per mmbtu from April 1". He said the government is "conveniently looking the other way, even as fertiliser companies are being brow-beaten to sign this patently illegal agreement".
Calling it a blatant violation of the EC orders and model code of conduct, Dasgupta requested the CEC to "call for the records of the petroleum ministry" and urged him "to direct the petroleum secretary to issue orders withdrawing the notification for hike in prices directly without waiting for the minister's approval to ensure compliance with the orders of the Election Commission".
"Despite your orders, the petroleum ministry has not withdrawn the notification for the price hike, even though 20 days have passed since the orders were issued. It is also reliably learnt that Veerappa Moily (petroleum minister) has been deliberately delaying the withdrawal of the notification for increasing prices even though officials of the ministry had put up the file to him more than 15 days back, by sitting on the file and not taking any decision on the same," the Left leader said.
He warned that taking advantage of this, "Reliance is arm-twisting fertiliser companies to sign agreements with it based on the increased price of $8.4 per mmbtu from April 1". He said the government is "conveniently looking the other way, even as fertiliser companies are being brow-beaten to sign this patently illegal agreement".
Calling it a blatant violation of the EC orders and model code of conduct, Dasgupta requested the CEC to "call for the records of the petroleum ministry" and urged him "to direct the petroleum secretary to issue orders withdrawing the notification for hike in prices directly without waiting for the minister's approval to ensure compliance with the orders of the Election Commission".
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