CCI to take up oil and gas sector clearance issue next week

18 Jan 2013 Evaluate

In a move to fast track clearances for $13.5 billion investment trapped in oil and gas sector, the newly constituted Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to take up next week the long-pending issue of failure to give clearance and issuing no objection certificates to nearly 46 oil and gas blocks by the Defence Ministry and the Department of Space.

The decision to move the CCI was taken after the Defence Ministry, regardless of the intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), failed to resolve the contentious issues pertaining to these oil and gas blocks.  In its note to CCI, the Petroleum Ministry pleaded, that India’s credibility on policy could face international embarrassment if clearances are not given and it could result in international investor leaving the oil sector.

After having granted clearances in the first place, in number of cases the Defence Ministry, especially the Navy, has later revoked those clearances. For instance, the Defence Ministry has declined permission for drilling or any related activity in 14 oil and gas blocks and has given conditional clearances for 32 blocks.

Last year, the Petroleum Ministry had cautioned the PMO that unless proactive efforts are made to fasten the process of pending clearances for oil and gas blocks, the country could witness an ‘exodus’ of foreign companies and billions of dollars of investments.

Earlier, there were a total of 74 oil and gas blocks, which had clearance issues. After a series of meetings, 28 blocks have been cleared by the Ministry of Defence whereas 46 blocks are still awaiting clearances. These blocks are spread over KG basin, Mumbai Basin, Gujarat-Saurashtra, Mahanadi basin, Andaman Basin and Cauvery Basin.

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