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The Aam Aadmi Party today shot off a letter to the Election Commission alleging the United Progressive Alliance government of violation of the model code of conduct by pushing Cabinet notes to help Essar Oil get certain oil fields.
"Despite the model code being in force, an oil field that was put out for bidding in 1993, 21 years back, and has not been concluded till date, is sought to be handed over to Essar on a platter on the eve of elections," AAP senior leader Prashant Bhushan wrote to V S Sampath, Chief Election Commissioner at the Election Commission today.
Bhushan had held a press conference on Wednesday and alleged that petroleum minister Veerappa Moily had pushed a revised cabinet note treating the allocation of Ratna and R-series oil fields to Essar Oil as concluded, overruling various officials. According to AAP, the reserves are valued at Rs 52,000 crore and would increase substantially after further exploration.
The oil fields, located 90 km south-west of Mumbai, were awarded to Essar Oil and Premier Oil in 1996, but the contract was never signed on several issues, including a dispute over the net worth of Essar and the amount of cess and royalty to be paid.
The AAP urged EC "not to allow the Government to take any such decision of signing the contract, as not only that would be a scam, but would be a major policy decision, a violation of the model code of conduct and a corrupt practice." The AAP also complained the EC about restrictions that the party faced during its campaign in Varanasi.
It also raised the issue of the NDTV opinion poll and asked for stringent action against the media house.
