Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan came down heavily on the Odisha Government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the deaths of 50 infants due to Japanese Encephalitis. He said “The State Government failed to take preventive measures, and that is the main reason for this kind of alarming scenario in Malkangiri district of Odisha.”
Pradhan said the Centre was extending all kind of support to the Odisha Government to bring the disease under control. “The Government of India is extending every kind of help. Hope that things are under control. It could have been prevented by taking preventive measures. Now, let us see – let us work together to prevent that epidemic,” he said. He told reporters after inaugurating Hindustan Petroleum Corporation limited’s Green R&D Centre near Hoskote, about 30 kms from Bengaluru.
Talking about rising oil prices in the international market, which has crossed the psychological barrier of USD 50 per barrel the Minister said there was no alarming situation in India following. “I don’t think there is any alarming situation. Consciously, the Government of India has taken a decision to deregulate the market,” he added.
Market watchers fear that the rising oil prices, which had crossed USD 50 per barrel, would adversely affect the India market. “For a robust economy (like India), for a long-term period, for the interest of consumers, price link to the market is needed - that we have done and there is no such alarming situation,” the Minister for petroleum and natural gas said.
Pradhan said “Whenever there will be a price reduction in the market, it will be passed on to the consumer and wherever there will be a price hike it will be taken care by consumer.”
On the RIl and ONGC gas migration dispute, Pradhan said the Oil Ministry’s technical arm, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) would come out with its quantification ofthe compensation which Reliance Industries (RIl) has to payfor drawing out natural gas belonging of State-owned ONGC.
“The job has been given to DGH. DGH will come out with the quantification of the amount within one month. The stakeholder will be properly informed and they have to repay. It will be done,” he said.
Pradhan also said he had discussed with Bangladesh State Minister State for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid the issue of supplying High Speed Diesel from Siliguri (West Bengal) terminal of India’s State-owned Numaligarh Refineries to Parbatipur depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corp. Dhaka’s request for India’s help came when Hamid met Pradhan in Delhi recently. On encouraging the oil sector in India, Pradhan said the Government will be spending Rs 300 crore for promoting startups in oil and gas sectors.