Won't succumb to pressure in resolving oil disputes: Govt

A BJP MP in the Lok Sabha on Monday said the government had been under pressure from private companies in the petroleum sector, like Reliance Industries.

The charges made by Bhola Singh, a BJP MP from Begusarai in Bihar, in the House during Question Hour prompted Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to clarify that the government had no obligation to any company and will not succumb to any pressure while resolving pending arbitration disputes with petroleum companies over hydrocarbon fields, like that with Reliance Industries over KG-D6 gas fields.

“The government has no obligation to any company; at least this government doesn’t have any. Narendra Modi is now the prime minister of the country, so none should worry. All works are being done in public domain,” said Pradhan.

He was replying to a supplementary question by Singh, who said that the government’s disputes with Reliance Industries in 4 or 5 cases had remained unresolved since 2011. DH News Service