Amid a gas supply dispute his firm is having with elder brother Mukesh-run RIL, Anil Ambani today met Fertiliser Secretary Atul Chaturvedi, who believes family agreements should take a backseat to national interest.
Anil was closeted with Chaturvedi for about 40 minutes and followed it up with a brief interaction with Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey and is believed to have discussed issues relating to gas supply to his group firm RNRL by RIL.
The billionaire industrialist, however, did not take questions from reporters after his meetings.
Chaturvedi had earlier written to the Anil Ambani group, saying: "Our understanding is that any family settlement would not over-ride the sovereign right of government to formulate policies aimed at larger public interest" and had hinted that legal remedy would be sought if the sovereign right is compromised.
While prioritising natural gas allocation, government had given first preference to fertiliser units, followed by power utilities.
RNRL and RIL have filed cross-petitions in the Supreme Court against the June 15 ruling of the Bombay High Court that said Anil Ambani group should get gas from RIL at $2.34 per million British thermal unit, a price that is 44 per cent less than that fixed by the government.
It is in this direction that the High Court had asked the two sides to work out an agreement based on their family settlement.