Court notices to Central Govenrment, Reliance on gas price

Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the centre and Reliance Industries on a public interest litigation seeking review of the recent government decision to hike from 2014 the gas prices from $4.2 to $8.4 million British thermal unit (mmBtu).

The apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam issued notice on the PIL by CPI leader and senior parliamentarian Gurudas Dasgupta contending that the government decided to hike the gas prices without taking into account its disastrous consequences on the country’s economy, particularly power and the fertilizer sector.

The PIL sought the enforcement of relinquishment laws by which government should reclaim 80 percent of the KG Basin gas field that has not been utilised by Reliance.