GANDHINAGAR: Chief Minister Anandiben Patel led Gujarat government has defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Congress party’s allegation of Rs 20000-crore Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (
GSPC
) gas exploration scam, claiming that there is no scam as all. It said the required permissions for the exploration in the
KG basin
were granted by the then
UPA government
led by Congress party.
The Comptroller & Auditor General of India, in 2010 and recently in 2016, also heavily criticized the Gujarat government for wasting huge public money on the faulty business in India and abroad.
Minister for energy and petrochemicals
Saurabh Patel
mclaimed that there is no GSPC scam as claimed by the Congress party and state government has submitted answers to all the queries raised by the CAG.
“All clearances were given by the then UPA government. In 18 explorations, the central government’s ONGC was also partner. Congress leaders don't nt understand the technical issues in it and make superficial allegations. The GSPC has strengthened the country’s oil and gas exploration potentials. Most of the queries of the CAG have also been addressed. PSU committee of assembly is also looking into the issue. So the Congress has no right to raise the issue," Patel said.
There were indications that government is also considering option of instituting an inquiry commission into the allegations. Sources close to the development said that the state government is considering an option of constituting an inquiry commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act as the political solution to silence Congress. Earlier, after Congress allegation of one lakh crore corruption in around 17 issues, while Modi was Gujarat CM, Modi constituted M.B.Shah commission. Shah commission’s report was never been tabled in the assembly.