Gas will be much cheaper if Centre honours HC order: Gujarat energy minister

Holds Central govt responsible for the plight of people in the state

While Gujarat faces one of the highest rates for the compressed natural gas (CNG) and piped natural gas (PNG), the state energy and petrochemicals minister, Saurabh Patel held Central government responsible for the plight of people in the state.

Patel maintained that gas prices would come down drastically if Centre implements the orders of Gujarat High Court.

"They (Central government) are not implementing the Gujarat High court order (on gas allocation). The implementation has been on hold since July last year. If the high court order is implemented the gas prices will fall drastically in the state," Patel told Business Standard.

"The next hearing on the petition is scheduled in August. People in Gujarat are facing high cost of gas due to Centre's laid-back approach towards implementation of high court order," he said on the sidelines of a conference of chartered accountants, organised by Baroda branch of Western India Regional Council of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on Friday.

In a bid to enforce the right of equality, the Gujarat high court in July 2012 directed the Central government to allocate natural gas to the city of Ahmedabad for domestic and automobile usage at the rate, at which it supplies to Delhi and Mumbai.

However, according to Central government and opposition party in Gujarat assembly, the state gets maximum gas in the country under the state quota.