HC to Govt: Supply gas to Deepak Fertilisers

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the government to resume the supply of gas to Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Cor Ltd (DFPCL) plant in Maharashtra which was disconnected in May 2014, saying the policy should be implemented "uniformly and without discrimination".

The order came on Deepak Fertiliser's plea for remedial measures against the government order to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and GAIL (India) Ltd to stop the supply to its plant in Raigad district, calling it arbitrary and unfair.

"Since the respondents (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Department of Fertilizers) have adopted a policy to suspend supply of gas to P&K (Phosphatic & Potash) Fertilizer units, the said decision ought to be implemented uniformly for all P&K manufacturing units. "It is not open for the respondents to suspend the supply of gas to the petitioner (DFPCL) while continuing the same to other P&K Manufacturing units, namely, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd (RCF) and Gujarat State Fertiliser Corporation Ltd (GSFC)," Justice Vibhu Bakhru said. "In the circumstances, the respondents are directed to resume the supply of gas to the petitioner till the time the Government of India are in a position to implement their policy to discontinue supply of gas for manufacture of P&K Fertilizer by other units as well," it added.

The court further said it was "incumbent upon the respondents to implement its policy uniformly and 

without discrimination". The company had also challenged the letters of Department of Fertilizers and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued in  May 2014.