SC makes Centre party to Ambani gas dispute

 
A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said that the government was allowed to be a party to the litigation. RNRL Advocate Ram Jethmalani opposed the move saying that he should have a right to cross-examine on the evidence produced by the government as “without cross-examination it is not evidence in the eyes of law.” Then, the court allowed RNRL to raise their objections to the evidence filed by the government in a counter affidavit.

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said that it would file an affidavit before the apex court on the stand of government over the issue of supply of gas to National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC) by RIL.  “NTPC is part of its own. RIL has won a contract to supply gas to NTPC in an internationally competitive bid. The suit matter is pending before Bombay High Court,” he said clarifying its stand over supply of gas to both RNRL and NTPC.

RIL Advocate Harish Salve said the company was contractually bound to supply natural gas if NTPC won the suit before the High Court subject to approval of the price by the government. Jethmalani said that RNRL needed only 0.01 per cent of the gas that had been in a part of the reservoir in 339 square kilometer areas out of the 7,000 square kilometer of KG-6 basin.

RIL has been assigned by the government to explore in 4,00,000 square kilometers areas under the sea bed in the exclusive economic zone, he said.