New Delhi: The Petroleum Ministry is mulling
filing a defamation suit against an Anil Ambani Group firm
for persisting with "false claims" pertaining to government
revenues from Reliance Industries KG-D6 fields.
The ministry is contemplating seeking Law Ministry view
on slapping the suit on RNRL over a claim that government
share from KG-D6 initially will be just Rs 500 crore, while
RIL will earn a super-normal profit of Rs 49,500 crore.
Sources in the ministry stated that RNRL and its
executives stuck to this claim despite the government
clarifying in a written statement that its revenues from KG-D6
over the life of the field would be more than Rs 84,000 crore,
with a clear objective to "malign and tarnish its image."
The file prepared for the same notes that government's
take from KG-D6 in the first year of gas production will be Rs
700 crore at a minimum output of 40 mmscmd. At peak output of
80 mmscmd, likely next year, the government will get Rs 1,200
crore in royalty and profit share.
Sources said the file is likely to go before Petroleum
Secretary RS Pandey and Petroleum Minister Murli Deora before
it is sent to Law Ministry for opinion.
In any case, the earnings will be more than Rs 500 crore,
they said pointing out that royalty at the USD 4.2 per mmBtu
approved price alone came to Rs 541 crore in the first year.
Meanwhile, sources said Congress MP KS Rao wrote to the
Prime Minister on August 24 stating that the Anil Ambani group
was using the country's top two law officers to further its
business interests.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, August 26, 2009, 15:41