The government today approved the allocation of 40 per cent of Reliance Industries' (RIL) eastern offshore KG-D6 gas to the power sector.
An Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, allocated 18 million standard cubic metre per day (mmscmd) of gas to the power sector, but the quantity to individual companies will be decided by the implementation committee, consisting of officials of power and petroleum ministries.
Sources said the EGoM also decided to allocate all the unutilised allocation of five mmscmd, meant for city gas projects, to power plants.
Earlier, 15.35 mmscmd gas from KG D-6 were allocated to fertiliser companies.
No official announcement was made, with the minister saying that because of the election code of conduct the decision would be kept under wraps.