Reliance says no to cut in KG basin gas output

The government has asked Reliance Industries to cut gas output from its eastern offshore KG-D6 fields so that imported fuel stocks can be cleared, a direction that the Mukesh Ambani-run company has rejected.

The petroleum ministry had in a meeting on April 30 asked Reliance to explore cutting down output so that the imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) accumulating at Petronet LNG Ltd’s Dahej terminal in Gujarat can be sold to customers.

“Reliance may examine whether it would be possible to cutback the production from KG-D6 fields by some amount for a short period,” according to the minutes of the meeting.

“Reliance has not agreed to or planned to cut down on the production of gas from KG basin,” a company spokesperson said.

Petronet, which ships gas in its liquid form (LNG) from Qatar on a long-term contract, is facing a glut after three fertiliser plants that used LNG as feedstock shut down for maintenance and a power plant owned by NTPC tripped.

By asking Reliance to cut output, the ministry had hoped it can push the imported gas to customers using KG-D6 gas.

Observers expressed surprise at the decision saying imported expensive gas was being prioritised over cheaper domestic gas. “The priority should be to use cheaper fuel first and use,” observers said.

Gujarat stands by Big B as envoy

The Gujarat government on Saturday said that despite political controversies, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan will continue to be the brand ambassador of Gujarat tourism.

This was disclosed by the Gujarat tourism minister, Mr Jay Narayan Vyas, at a press conference here on Saturday. Mr Vyas who is leading a delegation to Andhra Pradesh to invite Gujaratis settled here to participate in Gujarat’s golden jubilee celebrations in May said except “marketing issues” there is no “politics” involved in Big B being the brand ambassador.

“A celebrity endorses a brand based on its USP and Gujarat commands a vibrant ‘brand image’ in terms of industrial, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism development. Bachchan conveyed his willingness to showcase the development of Gujarat in the last 50 years irrespective of political controversies over him being the ‘brand ambassador’,” Mr Vyas said.

He also came down heavily on the Congress and Left parties for politicising the issue for their selfish ends. “They should realise that Amitabh Bachchan is promoting Gujarat and not a particular government in the state. They should also realise that Gujarat is a part of India,” he said.

“I don’t know whether the political parties are opposing the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, Bachchan or Gujarat. They should realise that he is just endorsing ‘brand Gujarat’,” he said.

He said if the tourism industry develops in Gujarat on account of this, it can fetch jobs for thousands of employed people in the nation. “It will also increase the revenue of the nation by attracting more and more tourists, since Amitabh has the charisma to create a positive impact on them. Some politicians are attacking Big B just to gain cheap publicity,” he added.

He said the delegation will tour Andhra Pradesh till April 5 and meet nearly 2.5 lakh Gujaratis residing in the state and invite them to the golden jubilee celebrations. He will also meet the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah and invite him to participate in the celebrations. Mr Vyas said the Gujarat government has planned various programmes throughout the year involving public as part of golden jubilee celebrations.

Sealink row: Amitabh hasn’t committed a crime, says Thackeray

Coming out in defence of old friend Amitabh Bachchan, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Saturday said the actor has done nothing wrong by attending the inauguration of the second phase of the Bandra—Worli Sea Link.

“Amitabh hasn’t committed a crime by attending the event,” Mr. Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ’Saamana’.

Lambasting Congress for “treating the actor as an untouchable”, Mr. Thackeray said “Shah Rukh Khan, who took cudgels on behalf of Pakistanis, will do for Congress, which is allergic to Amitabh.”

“Amitabh attending the function only added to the prestige of the event,” Mr. Thackeray said on the actor sharing the dias with Congress leaders at the sealink function.

Bachchan is not a thief, dacoit or a terrorist, Mr. Thackeray said.

The presence of Bachchan at the inauguration of second phase of the Sea Link a couple of days back had sparked a controversy with Congress leaders from Mumbai taking objection to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan sharing platform with the actor who is a brand ambassador for BJP-ruled Gujarat.

“Amitabh is targeted because he is brand ambassador of Gujarat. Ambani and Tata who live in Mumbai have invested heavily in Gujarat. Will anyone from Congress ask them why they were investing in Narendra Modi’s Gujarat,” Mr. Thackeray said.

The actor belongs to the nation and will remain so, he said.

Another ‘Maoist' activist held in Gujarat

Yet another alleged Maoist activist has been arrested in Gujarat giving indication that the naxalite movement has started gaining ground in the hitherto unaffected western State.

The police on Friday night picked up N. K. Singh, hailing from Begusarai in Bihar, from the Alang ship-breaking yard in Bhavnagar in the Saurashtra region where he was running a labour union. The arrest was made on the basis of the lead the police got from the mobile phone of another Maoist leader, Niranjan Mahapatra, who was arrested from Surat on Wednesday. The police said the two were in close contact with each other.

Niranjan, an alleged naxalite activist from Orissa, was arrested in Pandesara area of Surat where he was living in a small house in Jagannath Nagar area for the last couple of years. The police believed that he was trying to spread Maoist activities among the tribals in south Gujarat as well as among the diamond cutters and power loom industrial workers, both hit by the recent recessionary trend. The police claimed that both Niranjan and N. K. Singh were members of the outlawed CPI (M-L) Janshakti and were active in Gujarat for sometime.

While conjectures of left extremism gaining ground in the State were going on for some time now, the State police on February 26 had filed a comprehensive FIR against the outlawed CPI (Maoist) to probe into the outfit's activities and the people involved in spreading its network in the State.

Intelligence inputs had also cautioned the State police of growing naxal activities in the State, particularly in south Gujarat.

Kobad Ghandy link?

Their possible network in Gujarat was exposed by the arrest made in January by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad of Surya Dev Prabhakar who was believed to be in-charge of the naxal operations in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat also along with Maharashtra.

It was also learnt that Prabhakar was working in close tandem with the top naxal leader, Kobad Ghandy.

Amitabh to be Gujarat’s brand ambassador

Hindi film icon Amitabh Bachchan on Monday accepted the Gujarat government’s offer to be the new “brand ambassador” for the State.

In his letter of acceptance to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Bachchan said: “You have very graciously considered my appointment as brand ambassador for Gujarat. I accept the offer with great humility. I hope we will be able to work together for the betterment of Gujarat.”

Mr. Bachchan had volunteered to act as the brand ambassador for the State during his visit to Gandhinagar on January 6 for a special screening of his film “Paa,” for Mr. Modi and other top dignitaries in the State, seeking tax exemption for the film. He was all praise for Mr. Modi and Gujarat, and said he was highly impressed by the development of the State and would like to “lend his voice and face” if the government planned any documentary to showcase the State’s case for development in tourism and other sectors. He had also described Mr. Modi as a “simple man,” unlike a head of state.

A thrilled Mr. Modi followed this up by sending him an offer to act as the State’s brand ambassador which was promptly accepted by Mr. Bachchan.