No malafide intent in decisions: OilMin

Says there might be error of judgements but no mistakes

PTI | December 21, 2011



In the backdrop of the CAG severely criticising its decisions on RIL's KG-D6 gas block, the oil ministry on Wednesday said none of its actions were taken with malafide intentions, but it may have erred in certain cases where it was open to a course correction.

"We would explain why a particular decision was taken and why was it justified in those particular circumstances," oil secretary G C Chaturvedi said at a FICCI conference on energy security in the national capital.

"If any mistake had occurred, then it could be an error of judgement. There is a difference between an error of judgement and decisions (taken) on the basis of some malafide intentions," he said, referring to the CAG scrutiny, but did not name RIL or KG-D6.

The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) had in its September report sharply criticised the ministry for not exercising adequate oversight and control over procurements done by RIL and allowing the private firm to retain the entire 7,645 sq km block in the Bay of Bengal in violation of the contract.

Chaturvedi said when decisions are taken, no one is 100 per cent sure of their correctness.

"Whosoever takes decisions cannot be 100 per cent sure of correctness. There might be certain circumstances in which anybody's judgement may go wrong," he said. "It has to be looked at in the right perspective."

He said the CAG report is under the examination of the parliamentary accounts committee (PAC) and the ministry's position on the decisions would explained to it.

"Earth is not going to shake just because somebody has objected. When we have taken a decision, we would have been sure of certain outcomes and we should be ready to project those things," he said.

Comments

 

Other News

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter