The Centre filed its reply to an affidavit filed by Reliance Natural Resources in the Ambani brothers’ gas dispute on Monday and said that its legal rights have been affected by the Bombay High Court ruling on the matter.
The government, in its affidavit filed through Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Under Secretary S M Sundaram, said that its filing of Special Leave Petition in the case was justified and maintainable even if it was not a party to the case in the Bombay High Court.
The affidavit asserted that the central government’s legal rights were affected by the High Court judgement of June 15, wherein the court had asked Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries to honour the commitment made in a 2005 family settlement for supply of gas to Anil Ambani group’s RNRL at a committed price of $2.34 per mmBtu.
RIL, however, contends that it cannot sell the gas at a price below government-approved rate of $4.2 per mmBtu.
The apex court will begin hearing on Tuesday on the cross-appeals filed by the companies of the two Ambani groups as also the admissibility of the government’s petition to become a party in the matter.
