We faced defeat, OK now you face delay!

Ahmedabad, 11 October 2013

Today’s update: The High Court today directed centre to file affidavit on time frame to supply cheaper gas to Gujarat before 17th of October.

All Gujarat was demanding was just the supply of CNG at same rates as Delhi and Mumbai. Wasn’t this a fair demand? Gujarat is as much a part of the country as Delhi and Mumbai! The central government however was not ready. When challenged in court, the central government tasted defeat first in the Gujarat High Court, and later in the Supreme Court, early this month.

Now when no option is left, the centre wants to delay the execution of the court order. It’s like ‘we faced defeat, OK now you face delay’. In latest development, the Centre has requested the Gujarat high court to permit 16 weeks to formulate a policy to supply natural gas to Gujarat’s cities at the rate it provides to Delhi and Mumbai.

The centre was facing contempt petition for not obeying the High Court order and not supplying gas to Gujarat at a cheaper rate. However the centre challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court. As the Supreme Court has now backed the earlier HC order, the hearing of the contempt petition took place on Thursday. Recently appointed assistant solicitor general I.H Syed(who earlier fought cases against state govt for Ishrat Jahan, Sanjiv Bhatt etc) before the bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala urged the court to grant some time to the Centre to finalize the scheme by which it would implement the HC order. Further hearing is scheduled on Friday.