Reliance Industries on Friday opposed the demand made by CPI leader and MP Gurudas Dasgupta to stay arbitration proceedings pending with the Centre over the production sharing contract in the Krishna Godavari Gas Basin.
In a fresh application, Dasgupta informed the court of his demand to stay the arbitration proceedings as he feared the Government may collude with RIl to produce a favourable order. Initially, Dasgupta’s PIl had asked for an independent arbitrator to be appointed by the court in order to conclude the proceedings within six months. To replace this prayer, the new application was filed stating the matter to be decided by court and not through arbitration, which may render the entire process infructuous.
Opposing the prayer, RIl counsel senior advocate Harish Salve said, “This amendment turns the case on its head.” In view of the opposition, the Bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjana Desai posted the application after six weeks, keeping in view the request made by Centre to file a reply to Dasgupta’s PIl.
Meanwhile, the court was informed that a similar petition seeking cancellation of the production sharing contract (PSC) entered between RIl-NIKO and Centre will come up before another apex bench on Monday. The court decided to await the outcome of the proceeding and assured that the same would be heard with the pending PIl if notice was issued by the other Bench.
Salve brought to the court’s notice material printed by CPI on the gas pricing issue where the contentions of the petitioner were openly put out without awaiting the court’s verdict. Dasgupta’s lawyer Colin Gonsalves assured to check up the facts. But the Bench reminded him, “He is a MP. When we issued notice we said he is an experienced MP. You ought to maintain that”.