Petroleum Minister Ram Naik has organised a jamboree to receive the first parcel of crude oil from Sudan at Mangalore. Nearly 100 people, including 44MPs, will be flown to the port city on May 14 to welcome the first 600,000 barrels, which can be processed only at the MRPL refinery.Dy PM L.K. Advani has been roped in to welcome the shipment from Sudan on May 15. In attendance would be Naik, his junior Santosh Gangwar, Karnataka CM S.M. Krishna and the Parliamentary Consultative Committee. To justify the presence of the 44-member committee, a meeting has been arranged at Mangalore a day before with the excuse that it would be the inter-session meeting between Budget and Monsoon Sessions. The discussion would be on ‘‘acquisition of 51 per cent stake in MRPL by ONGC and 25 per cent stake in Greater Nile Oil Project, Sudan by ONGC Videsh Limited’’ to ensure that site arrangements are handled by ONGC.
