NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday did not give any interim relief on a PIL filed by Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh seeking quashing of government approval for the revised cost estimates submitted by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries for gas production from KG basin field.
However, a Bench comprising Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna directed the Centre to place before it the interim order of Bombay High Court when the Centres' counsel contended that a similar matter was pending there and an interim order had been passed.
The court was hearing a petition filed by two Samajwadi Party MPs - Amar Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav. The petition also sought an inquiry either by CBI, CAG or the CVC into the alleged connivance of government officials who gave clearance to the revised field development plan and capital cost estimates submitted by RIL for gas production.
Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra said the two Ambani brothers (Anil and Mukesh) were fighting with each other. This was a politically motivated litigation, he said.
However, the petitioner's counsel said the country should not be divided between Ambani brothers.
On this, court said this is an economic policy matter. "You are an MP so its better to raise the issue in Parliament," it said.
The petition did not name RIL as a party to the case.
According to the petition, the consortium had earlier submitted an initial development plan in May 2004 for a capital cost of USD 2.47 billion for producing 40 million standard cubic meters of gas per day. However, the consortium later increased the capital cost to USD 8.84 billion and revised production to 80 MMSCMD, it said.
