PNGRB members move SC against chief

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought reply from the Centre, the Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and others after the Board members alleged that chairman L Mansingh was destroying its multi-member character.

A Bench headed by justice Dalveer Bhandari sought reply from the Board, Indraprastha Gas, GAIL, NGO Voice of India, Gujarat State Petronet and the petroleum ministry on an application moved by PNGRB members ? YPC Dangay and Sudha Mahalingam. The members alleged that ?the Board continues to be controlled by a single individual, namely the chairperson? despite the directions of the apex court in May that all pending and new applications must be decided by a multi-member board.

PNGRB authorises the companies to lay build, operate or expand natural gas pipelines. The members alleged that the chairman, in violation of the PNGRB Act, does not allow voting in board meetings.

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?He does not record dissent and in contravention of the principles of natural justice, does not even bring on agenda proposals made by applicants/members for the consideration of the board, thus frustrating the collegiate principle of decision making,? the application said.

The members also prayed the court to restore the multi-member character of the Board ?by expressly revoking the delegation of core and essential powers and functions of the Board made to the chairperson and re-vesting them in the Board?.

The SC had on May 12 barred another member, BS Negi (technical), from participating in the deliberations. Earlier, public sector gas utility GAIL had challenged the board?s decision to award a pipeline project worth R7,143 crore to the state-owned Gujarat State Petronet. PNGRB on May 18 had granted Letter of Intent to GSPL, a subsidiary of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, for laying the Mehsana-Bhatinda pipeline (1,670 km) at a cost of R7,143 crore.

GAIL had also alleged that all the decisions of the board in the bidding process were vitiated as they were not taken by a multi-member board but by certain officers with the approval of the chairman.