Delhi High Court seeks govt opinion on gas pipeline licence

The Delhi High Court has sought the Government's opinion on allegations that the newly formed Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board has issued licences for the city grid pipelines without the authority to do so.      

A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice A P Shah yesterday directed the Government to file its submission on the allegation of an organisation called Voice of India, which said that the board and its Chairman L Mansingh did not have the authority to issue licence for CNG retailing in cities.      

"Let it be srutinised by the government of India...The question is what would be the stand of the government over grant of authorisation... We should wait (for) what it says on it," said the Division Bench.      

The High Court also orally directed the son of PNGRB Member (Technical) Bhagwant Singh Negi to file an affidavit on the NGO's allegation that the consultancy firm he is running has a connection with the job profile of his father.      

In its petition the NGO had alleged that B S Negi is running a consultancy in the name of his son Akhilesh Negi, giving advice to firms applying to the PNGRB for licence.      

"Let your son file an affidavit (on this) that he has nothing to do in this regard," the Court said.      

The Court's direction came after it could not be satisfied with Negi's submission that his son provides consultancy to infrastructure companies.
 
"The business profile shows that you are only in the business of petroleum consultancy only," the Court observed.      

Moreover, the Court also rejected Negi's submission that his son's business has nothing to do with the PNGRB and said the Court is trying to find out whether the father's interests overlapped with those of his son.      

The NGO, which alleged that the father and the son has common interests, submitted the address and fax numbers of the son's consultancy firm, which happened to be the same as B S Negi's.      

During the proceedings, the counsel appearing for the PNGRB said that the board has got approval under Section 11 of the PNGRB Act.      

The Court has listed the matter for hearing on May 21.