and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd. leading to over Rs 34,000 crore losses to the exchequer as pointed out by the CAG report.
The CAG has noted that the former Director-General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) permitted Reliance to inflate its “development costs” on the gas extraction in the D6 block of KG basin from 2.47 billion dollars to a whopping 8.84 billion dollars. The CPI (M) said the money taken by RIL affected the revenues of the Government and demanded prosecution of the former DGH without delay.
Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy met the Prime Minister here on Tuesday to apprise him of the position of his ministry that has been castigated in the Comptroller and Accountant General (CAG) report. The UPA government is unlikely to table the CAG report in the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning from July 13 as the Petroleum Ministry is unlikely to finish its point-by-point response by then.
The CPI (M) Politburo regretted that in a repeat of the 2-G scam, the Prime Minister was silent on this issue as well and demanded a statement from the PM on this issue as it involves a higher price for energy resource like natural gas that is used for power and fertilizer industries and has a direct bearing on the interests of the common man. “The Prime Minister’s silence on the issue, other than mere acknowledgement of letters from Members of Parliament has again exposed the UPA Government’s acquiescence to corporate manipulation,” the CPI (M) said. It said the latest scam was yet another example of the power of corporate in the UPA Government to subvert rules and regulations in their favour.
The party, which leads the four-party Left Front, said the government’s connivance with RIL has a direct impact on the aam aadmi because increased claims of development cost get reflected in the price of gas given to consumers and also affect the prices of fertilizer and power.
