Bidding date not to be extended beyond June 30 : Srinivasan

New Delhi, Jun 23 (UNI) The government today said the bidding date for the oil and gas blocks under the seventh round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) will not be extended.

''There is no postponement of the bidding date.... it remains the same as scheduled on June 30 and the contracts will be awarded in the next two months from June 30,'' Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan told reporters on the sidelines of a conference.

The government had earlier postponed the bidding dates twice because of the contradictory views held by the Finance and Petroleum Ministries.

The date was last deferred from May 16 to June 30.

UNI SBA PDT PM1223