Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A week after CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta sought the Prime Ministers intervention to stop a gigantic scam in raising the price of natural gas,the PMO has directed the petroleum ministry to re-circulate the cabinet agenda after highlighting the changes it made.
The PMO has desired that views of the concerned ministries may be sought on changes made by the petroleum ministry since the circulation of the note in March, says the petroleum ministrys office memorandum to the other ministries.
Petroleum made changes to its first proposal that was sent on March 11 to Finance,Power,Chemicals and Fertilizers,Law and Justice and the Planning Commission ministries whose heads are members of the Empowered Group of Ministers EGoM on Gas Pricing and Commercial Utilization of Gas.
It later made significant changes in the new note for the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs that countered the objections raised by the gas-user ministries of Power and Fertilizers,and the subsidy-bearer,the Department of Expenditure.
However,instead of circulating the note for fresh rebuttal,it sent the proposal to the cabinet secretariat in mid-May for final approval.
This note was used by Dasgupta on May 23 to allege that Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moilys proposals would benefit the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd RIL to the tune of thousands of crores. The veteran MP alleged Moily had bulldozed his officials in the preparation of the CCEA proposal,and sought the PMs intervention to stop the national loot.
