New Delhi, August 20: Government tonight said it would issue a statement tomorrow rebutting claims made by Anil Ambani Group in an advertisement campaign debunking Petroleum Ministry on the gas dispute between the Ambani brothers.
While agreeing to an identical stand by the Centre on the twin dispute between power PSU NTPC and Mukesh Ambani-led RIL and that involving the group firms of two Ambani brothers, a ministerial group is believed to have taken a serious exception to the campaign launched by Anil Ambani group.
The statement, to be issued by the Petroleum Ministry, has been vetted by an informal group of ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for supervising the government stand on the gas dispute in the Supreme Court..
“He (Petroleum Minister Murli Deora) will issue a statement tomorrow,” Law Minister Veerappa Moily told reporters emerging from a meeting that last nearly 100 minutes.
The statement will be issued despite a section of the law officers voicing opinion against getting into a matching slag with the Anil Ambani Group, but the ministers were of the view that gross misrepresentation of facts has to be rebutted.
Moily said government’s next move on the twin gas dispute involving Reliance Industries and NTPC and RNRL “will happen in the court”.
Asked if the grouping cleared NTPC for moving Supreme Court to secure gas from RIL at committed prices of at USD 2.34 per mmBtu in 2004, Moily said “that is what NTPC has to decide”. .
—Agencies