The Apex Court of India has directed the Centre to give (APM) CNG gas to Gujarat on the same rate as it is given to the other states.
Giving details of the Supreme Court judgment Gujarat Energy Minister Saurabh Patel said the court has given this judgment during a hearing on a public interest litigation regarding CNG price hike in Gujarat. The Court has directed the Central government to give CNG to Gujarat on low cost as per APM formula, as it is given to the other states by the Centre.
Energy Minister termed the verdict as Gujarat’s victory against the Centre’s injustice towards the state. He demanded to implement the court’s decision with immediate effect, so that 2.35 lakh vehicle owners of Gujarat can get CNG on the lower rates. This will ease the lives of large number of rickshaw drives and vehicle owners in the present scenario of heavy price-rise.
He said the verdict has exposed the Center’s policy of favoritism in CNG allocation. The Apex Court has clearly said the Center cannot discriminate between two states while allocating the gas. This has uncovered center’s step-motherly treatment towards Gujarat and its double-standards, Mr. Patel said.
Even after the Gujarat High court’s order to center, directing it to give CNG to Gujarat on the same rates as other states, the union ministers were harping blatant lies that there was no injustice to Gujarat. The Supreme Court’s verdict makes it clear that what they were saying was utter lie, said Mr. Patel.
Mr. Patel said the UPA government was scared that if Gujarat government could succeed in giving CNG to its people on low cost, the BJP government’s popularity will touch the sky. And so the Centre compelled the Gujarat government to purchase CNG on high rates. But owing to the fighting spirit of Gujarat, the center’s injustice was challenged in the Supreme Court and so the Apex court’s today’s judgment can be equated with the victory of people of Gujarat.
