Moily rules out cap on gas price

July 12, 2013

Moily_rulesNew Delhi, Jul 12: Oil minister M Veerappa Moily on Thursday unequivocally ruled out any rethink — including putting a cap on price — in the government on the decision to usher in a new pricing regime that is expected to double the cost of domestic gas from April.

Moily said the new price arrived through the formula would apply uniformly to all gas producers, implying Reliance Industries (RIL) would not be asked to sell the unmet commitment — quantity of gas it promised but failed to deliver — at the present rate of $4.2 per unit.

"There is no thinking on part of the government for any review or reconsideration of the decision of the CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs). Let me make it very clear: There is no confusion, there is no vagueness. And I don't think there is scope for any interpretation whatsoever," Moily told reporters.

The minister's statement came in the backdrop of the finance ministry sending six posers, based on media reports, regarding the CCEA's June 27 decision to approve the formula suggested by a panel under PM's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) chief C Rangarajan.

Two of the key issues were: Should there be a ceiling to prevent domestic gas prices from a runaway spike once the new pricing formula comes into effect?

Should RIL be asked to maintain the present rate for the unmet quantity of gas? Moily said the finance ministry did not raise these issues when the oil ministry had sought its views twice for incorporation into the Cabinet note.

"The office memorandum dated July 4 from the department of expenditure, ministry of finance... has enclosed two editorials of newspapers and illustrated some of the issues in these editorials. That cannot be taken as objective opinion of the ministry of finance. It cannot (also) be considered as query raised by the ministry of finance," Moily said.

The minister said the price of gas would be $6.8 per unit according to the formula and not $8.4.

What Moily left unsaid is that this would be the price if the formula was to be applied today. But when the formula is applied in April, the price would be around $8.4 per unit unless prices of liquid gas imports drop dramatically in-between.

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News Network
July 11,2020

New Delhi, Jul 11: India's COVID-19 case count crossed the eight lakh-mark on Saturday with yet another highest single-day spike of 27,114 new cases in the last 24 hours.

As many as 519 deaths were reported during this period.

The total number of positive cases in the country stands at 8,20,916, including 2,83,407 active cases, 5,15,386 cured/discharged/migrated and 22,123 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With as many as 2,38,461 COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected state, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,30,261) and Delhi (1,09,140).

Meanwhile, 1,13,07,002 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 10. Out of these 2,82,511 samples were tested yesterday, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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News Network
January 12,2020

Kolkata, Jan 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that Kolkata Port Trust will be renamed as Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port.

Addressing the gathering at the inauguration of 150th anniversary celebrations of Kolkata Port Trust, he said: "I announce the renaming of the Kolkata Port Trust to Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port. He is a living legend who was a leader for development and fought on the forefront for the idea of One Nation, One Constitution."

"This port represents industrial, spiritual and self-sufficiency aspirations of India. Today, when the port is celebrating its 150th anniversary, it is our responsibility to make it a powerful symbol of New India," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder had set the stone for industrialization in India. "Chittaranjan Locomotive Factory, Hindustan Aircraft Factory, Damodar Valley Corporation and several others saw active participation from him," he said.

The Prime Minister also felicitated the two oldest pensioners of the Kolkata Port Trust, Nagina Bhagat and Naresh Chandra Chakraborty.

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August 3,2020

Aug 3: Iqbal Ansari, who was a litigant in the Ayodhya land dispute case, has decided to gift a 'Ram nami' stole and a copy of the Ramcharitmanas to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he attends the bhoomi pujan ceremony for the Ram temple here on Wednesday.

"Yes, I have received the invitation from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the bhoomi pujan ceremony. I will certainly attend it. The dispute is over now after the court's verdict," Ansari, 69, told .

"Our Prime Minister is coming. I will meet him and give him a 'Ramnami' stole (with Ram's name written on it) and Ramcharitmanas as a present," Ansari said.

His father Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land dispute case, died at the age of 95 in 2016 after which the son started pursuing the case in the court.

Talking about Wednesday's ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction of a grand Ram temple here, Ansari said, "I belong to Ayodhya. All this (temple's construction) will change the fate of Ayodhya. We all want our child to get better opportunities".

He further said, "I respect sadhus and saints. I am happy to have received the invitation for the ceremony. I think it is Lord Ram's will that I attend it".

When asked what he would have done had the court decided the case in his favour, Ansari said he had wanted the construction of a school and a hospital on the disputed land.

"I feel the city needs development. The future of our children should be safe and secure and they should get employment. Dispute in the name of religion should end now and we should let the city witness a new beginning," he said.

The Supreme Court had in November last year paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple by a Trust at the disputed site of the Babri Masjid's demolition in Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh.

The state government has allotted a five-acre land in Dhannipur village in Sohaval Tehsil of Ayodhya for the mosque's construction.

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