Deora says gas from KG basin will be supplied to 'all existing plants'

 Making a statement in Lok Sabha, Deora quoted the report of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), saying that gas from Krishna-Godavari  basin would be made available to all  the project in the pipeline , including Dadri power project, “ as and when they are ready to commence production. This will be without prejudice to the decision of the court cases.”

Legal debate

Deora’s statement comes in the wake of the legal controversy over the issue of gas supply from the Krishna-Godavari basin and Anil Ambani alleging that the Petroleum Ministry was favouring Mukesh,

Following Deora’s statement, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav alleged that Deora had earned illegal gratification to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore by favouring “one industrialist”.

“He is corrupt”, Yadav alleged without batting an eyelid and demanded Deora’s resignation even as the House was thrown into a turmoil with Trinamool Congress (TMC) members attempting to rush to the well, demanding permission to raise issues relating to violence in West Bengal.

They interrupted CPM member Basudev Acharya who rose to speak on price rise. Acharya aso wanted the government to take over distribution of RIL gas.

No discrimination

On his part, Deora said there was no discrimination against Uttar Pradesh, emphasising that the NTPC plant in Dadri had been allocated .45 mmscmd of gas.

Yadav had alleged that the NTPC plant was incurring losses to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore as it was not supplied gas by the Centre.

But the Minister maintained that the Centre had “nothing to do with the private dispute of companies or individuals”.

Deora made his statement when the House re-assembled after being adjourned till noon by Speaker Meira Kumar, minutes after proceedings began at 11 am when BJP members sought to speak on the neglect of Rohilkhand region in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

 As Deora rose to speak, Samajwadi Party members protested, forcing the Speaker to again adjourn the House till 2 pm. 

 Mulayam raises corruption charges

NEW Delhi, DHNS: In the Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav levelled charges of corruption against Petroleum Minister Murli Deora. The SP leader’s allegations and his party’s walkout and Trinamool MPs’ insistence to raise issues concerning West Bengal forced another adjournment until 3 pm. It was Yadav who stole the limelight by rejecting Deora’s statement. The SP leader said Deora’s statement “has hidden the real issue”. He charged Deora of making money to the tune of Rs 50,000 but revised the figure to Rs 50,000 crore when prompted by party colleagues. He claimed that Anil Ambani’s RNRL-owned Dadri thermal project in UP had not been supplied with gas which was “discriminatory” toward his home-state.