CNG allocation: HC notice to Centre over contempt charge

Acting on a contempt of court petition, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued notices the central government and Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for not complying with its recent order on the allocation of compressed natural gas (CNG) to the state.

The petition has been moved by Dhrangadhra Prakruti Mandal.

According to the petitioner, in July this year, acting on its PIL, the HC had passed a judgment and directed the central government to give CNG to Ahmedabad city at the same rate at which Mumbai and Delhi are getting under the Administered Price Mechanism (APM).

The court had also directed the Centre not to discriminate between City Gas Distribution Systems (CGDs) promoted by the Central PSUs and other CGDs and among Gujarat CGDs in the matter of allocation of CNG.

The petitioner has contended that the central government has so far not complied with the directions of the court in spite of the fact that the same has not been stayed by any court. The petitioner has also contended that in its recent judgment, the court held that the CNG allocation should be done while giving the domestic and transport sector top priority.

In violation of the same, the petitioner stated, ONGC has recently floated a tender notice for sale of CNG from small/isolated and marginal field of ONGC, Ahmedabad Asset. And in the said tender notice, top priority has been given to Gas Based Urea fertilizer plants; CGD systems for domestic and transport sectors is fourth in the priority list of the tender.

Challenging the said tender, the petitioner stated that the same has been floated despite of the court's verdict and therefore demanded contempt proceedings against the Central Government and ONGC.

A division bench of the HC comprising Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala issued notice to all the respondents and kept further hearing after two weeks.

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