CPI (M) seeks PM intervention in Gas controversy related to RIL

Kolkata, Aug.2 (ANI): Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Sunday sought intervention of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the ongoing gas controversy related to Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries Limited in the Krishna-Godavari basin.

CPI (M) Polit Bureau Member and the Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury here said: "The CPI-M has sent a letter on behalf of the 30 CPI-M MPs today to the Prime Minister of India Dr.Manmohan Singh on the recent gas controversy of Mukesh Ambani controlled Reliance Industries Limited in the Krishna-Godavari basin."

Divulging the details of the letter, Yechury said that in the letter the party has demanded that since gas is a national asset, the Central Govt. should take over the marketing and distribution to ensure the national asset was not surreptitiously appropriated as valid property.

While talking to the mediamen at the CPI-M headquarters in Kolkata on Sunday evening, Yechuri said the party also demanded to determine the price according to the recovery of the gas, not on the basis of the international price.

"Since gas is being produced in our country so there is absolutely no justification of pricing it on the basis of linkage with international price," Yechury said.

"The Govt. must reconsider its decision to sell the gas at 4.32 dollars and it should sell the gas at 2.32 dollars. It was not fare to sell the gas at 4.32 dollars," he added.

Yechury told reporters here that in 2004-2005 the NTPC would sell the gas at 2.34 dollars.

He said since the gas was national resource so Govt. should distribute it.

He said the Govt. should give the authority to the Gas Authority India to sell the gas. (ANI)