New Delhi, May 7: Union petroleum minister Murli Deora said on Friday that the Supreme Court’s judgement has vindicated his stand that gas belongs to the nation.

Last year, Mr Anil Ambani had launched a campaign against Mr Deora for moving the Supreme Court for asserting the government’s sovereign right on pricing and utilisation of KG basin gas.
“I welcome the verdict. No matter what campaign one ran against the government, the nation is supreme,” said Mr Deora soon after the Supreme Court upheld the government’s right to decide gas prices. The minister said the government is satisfied with the verdict. “The government has the power to decide the price of gas and the power to allocate. The Supreme Court verdict upholds the fact that gas belongs to the government and the people of the country, and that is what we have been saying,” Mr Deora added.
Law minister M. Veerappa Moily also said the Supreme Court judgment had supported the stand taken by the petroleum ministry under Mr Deora.  “Which side the judgement has gone, I am not making any comment on that. But it is very clear that the stand taken by the government, particularly the petroleum and natural gas ministry, has been vindicated and reiterated by the Supreme Court,” said Mr Moily.
Mr Anil Ambani had attacked the petroleum minister during the Reliance Natural Resources (RNRL) AGM, alleging that the petroleum ministry had became biased towards Mr Mukesh Ambani ever since Mr Deora took charge in 2006.
 

Age Correspondent