W.P. (C) 728/2013
Undoing the mala fide favours to RIL in KG Basin

Common Cause in August 2014 along with other co-petitioners filed this writ with the Supreme Court of India to seek  appropriate writs to the Union of India to undo the mala fide favours shown to Reliance Industries Limited and its associate, NIKO, in the working of the Production Sharing Contract for KG Basin Gas Block and a thorough court monitored SIT inquiry into the collusion between the establishment and the said entities. The Petition prays for cancellation of the RIL lease and an appropriate penalty for its failure to adhere to its commitments and deliberate under production. The matter has been tagged with a similar writ petition filed by Shri Gurudas Dasgupta, M. P. At the final hearing on March 4, 2014, the Court ruled that the implementation of the government’s decision on the revision of natural gas prices would be subject to the orders of the Court.

There had been reports that the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas had moved a draft note for seeking the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for amending the Production Sharing Contract with RIL with a view to allowing it to retain certain oil and gas fields which it was obliged to relinquish. Hence, we filed an application for interim directions on April 21, 2014 to foil this move. The IA sought a direction to the UOI not to amend the PSCs with Reliance as proposed in the draft CCEA note and a further direction to the contractor to relinquish the oil and gas fields that it ought to have surrendered.

At the hearing on January 16, we filed an IA requesting the Court to take on record the final report of the CAG on the operation of the PSC between the Government and RIL in respect of the KG Basin D6 Block, which was tabled in Parliament on November 28, 2014. The UOI filed its latest gas pricing guidelines. During the hearing on March 30, 2015 the apex Court granted time to RIL to file their response to the CAG report filed earlier by Common Cause. The solicitor general requested for time to study the report of the PAC on the recommendations of the CAG report. The Court granted time to the UOI to file a status report regarding the proceedings, if any taken pursuant to the said C.A.G. report. There are no further orders of listing.

The matter was listed for hearing on December 3, 2018, but was adjourned. There are no further orders of listing. 


Download :

WP 728 of 2013