Ministry likely to amend petition on Ambani gas tangle

Mukherjee feels the division of gas between brothers is unfair to govt

The amended petition would seek to challenge the part of the MoU that pertains to gas supply and delink production sharing contract between the government and Mukesh Ambani-led RIL from family settlement, sources in the know said.

An exercise has started to remove “technicalities” pertaining to the family split agreement, sources said.

Amidst growing controversy over the government being drawn into legal dispute between the two Ambani brothers over the gas issue now lying before the Supreme Court, the petroleum ministry will now act in coordination with the law ministry to formulate its stand before the apex court.

The decision emerged at a meeting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had with Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Tuesday night.  At the meeting it was felt that the petroleum ministry was “right” in seeking intervention  in the Supreme Court by exercising the right of protecting the sovereign interests of the country, sources said. Considering “legal complexities” the petroleum ministry would work in tandem with the law ministry to put forth its views before the Supreme Court, sources said. As a follow up, concerned senior officials of petroleum ministry would regularly interact with their counterparts in the law ministry and pursue the matter in the Supreme Court, sources said.   

Special leave petition

The Special Leave Petition filed on July 18 had sought to declare that part of the MoU which deals with Government rights null and void.

Sources said Mukherjee and Moily felt the SPL was needed as the the division of gas between the two brothers was “unfair” to the Government and public interest.  However, they wanted the reference to the whole family MoU deleted and prayer restricted to annexing the gas division between the two.

Anil seeks early end to gas row

Anil Ambani on Wednesday, said that his company had served a notice to the parties and will move court for an early resolution of the matter, reports IANS from Mumbai.

“The honourable Supreme Court will be requested to take up the matter for final hearing on Sep 1,” he said, adding a petition on these lines will be moved in the apex court on Thursday, and hoped that the government will back this initiative.