Defer gas price hike, EC tells Oil Ministry 

New Delhi, March 24
In a move that will delay revision of natural gas prices by a few months, Election Commission today asked the UPA government to defer notifying doubling of price of the fuel produced by companies such as Reliance Industries till the General Election is completed.

A new pricing regime was to be implemented from next month for all private and public sector natural gas producers under which rates were to rise to $8.3 next month from current $4.2 per million British thermal units.

The decision was opposed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which alleged that it was taken to favour RIL.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who had during his brief stint as Delhi Chief Minister ordered an FIR against Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily and RIL head Mukesh Ambani and others for allegedly conspiring to double gas prices, had asked EC not to approve the revision in rates. CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta and an NGO had filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the rate hike. The apex court is to resume hearing on the issue from tomorrow.

The Oil Ministry had approached Election Commission for permission to announce the new price. PTI