Gas blocks: RNRL may move court

The controversy over the evaluation parameters for natural gas (coal bed methane) blocks "" the awards for which are scheduled to be announced by the end of the month "" refuses to go.

According to sources close to the development, Anil Ambani's Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) may take legal recourse in case the issues it raised are not addressed.

They added that the government has stated that the criteria for three points was made known to the bidders even before the bids were received and opened on June 30 this year.

RNRL had earlier said the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons and the ministry of petroleum and natural gas had invoked their "discretion" to award 3 marks out of a maximum 100 while evaluating the bids for two blocks.

RNRL sources said the ministry's contention that the parameters were made known to the bidders before submission of the bids was "incorrect".

They added that if any changes were being made to the draft Cabinet note on the issue, they were aimed at "pre-dating and covering up, as against what actually transpired".

Director General Hydrocarbons VK Sibal said: "We strongly refute all the charges. A draft is not a final document, it is discussed with all ideas being incorporated. Only then a final note is prepared. This misrepresentation is a mockery to misguide the people and the authorities".

RNRL has also alleged that it is being marked out of at least two of the six bids that it led in.