Gandhinagar

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has approved to pay Rs 763 crore to Gujarat as crude oil royalty, state finance minister Saurabh Patel announced in the Assembly today.

Terming it as the beginning of ‘Acchhe Din’ for Gujarat, Patel stated that an additional amount of Rs 800 crore towards crude oil royalty would also be given to the state within six months.

“Though the matter is still pending in Supreme Court, the Modi-led NDA government has decided to give us Rs 763 crore now and Rs 800 crore in six months without waiting for the court’s decision. It seems that ‘Acchhe Din’ has come for Gujarat,” Patel told the House.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel thanked Modi for his decision through tweets. One of her tweet reads, “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Union Government for doing justice to the long-standing crude oil royalty issue of Gujarat”.

Another tweet said, “With the problem being resolved, Gujarat will recieve an immediate amount of Rs 763 crore as royalty and Rs 800 crore in six months”.

In his speech, Patel claimed that the UPA government had denied royalty to Gujarat on crude oil explored in the state, after which the matter reached the court.

“In addition, the UPA government reduced crude royalty rates, set by the previous NDA government, which resulted in a loss of Rs 10,000 crore to Gujarat,” he said.

“We wrote numerous letters to the UPA government, but it did not respond. That royalty is our right and now we have recieved it from the Modi government,” he added.

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