Modi meets PM, calls for parity in gas pricing
Raising height of Sardar Sarovar dam discussed
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought parity in gas prices even as he sought the latter’s intervention in several issues facing the western state.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the prime minister, for the first time after he won the elections for the third straight tim,e Modi expressed his unhappiness over the Centre's refusal to provide gas to the state at the same price at which it is given to Mumbai and Delhi.
The chief minister said of the 45-minute meeting held at the prime minister’s Race Course road residence: “It was a very good meeting and we had a long discussion during which several different issues came up. The prime minister gave his good wishes for the development of Gujarat and the success of the new government. I gave an assurance that Gujarat will give full support to all measures taken for the welfare of the people.”
The main issue of the meeting, Modi indicated, was gas pricing. “A legal battle is on between us and the Government of India. Gujarat is not given gas at the price at which Delhi and Mumbai get it. We had gone to court and won the case. Despite this the order was not implemented for six months and we filed a contempt petition. Instead of accepting this order, the Government of India went to the Supreme Court to delay the process. I have expressed my unhappiness to the prime minister over this," he said.
The other issues he discussed, a Gujarat government press release said, included the raising the height of Sardar Sarovar dam to 138.68 metres, clearance for construction of spillway piers to full height, bridge and installation of gates at the dam site, desert development programme (DDP) areas facing severe water problems than areas covered under the drought prone areas programme etc.
Modi raised the issues like “Government of India’s anti–farmer policy and regulating BT cotton seeds prices adversely affecting the farmers in Gujarat State, flip – flop in allowing cotton export, non-payment of Royalty on crude oil as per Statutory Provisions, Coal allocation to Gujarat from nearer coal mines of Western Coal Fields for power generation, complete waiver on custom duty in ship breaking industry, etc”, the state government release said.
