Mangalore: The Union ministry for petroleum and natural gas is drawing up a road map to ensure the country’s self-reliance in fossil fuel and natural gas. While India for now imports up to 80% of its crude oil needs, the road map seeks to reduce this by further 30-40% over the next three to five years, its minister M Veerappa Moily, said. “The road map will come with liberal policies that will favour big expansion of investment in the oil sector,” Moily added.

Interacting with reporters here, Moily said India cannot continue to forever import a majority of its oil needs. “There is enough scope for tapping our own resources and this can be ushered in through reforms which ministry is working on,” Moily said, adding India has wherewithal to produce crude and gas internally. “We need to attract big time foreign and local investment and also state-of-the-art technology in our aim at achieving self-reliance,” he added.

Citing the example of how the US is working towards achieving self-sufficiency in their energy needs under President Barack Obama, Moily said, “At one time USA was dependent on the Middle East for its oil requirements. Under Obama, that country is marching towards achieving self-sufficiency over the next 10-15 years. Policies that will facilitate exploration of crude and gas fields without harming environment will be followed.”

Not getting drawn in to debate over crony capitalism that is said to be rampant in oil sector in the country, Moily said the ministry will go by the rule book. “There will be no bending of laws for an individual or any specific company,” Moily said adding existing contractual obligations will however be met.

“There will be no deviation from norms, Moily said adding that interest of the nation will be uppermost in mind in all future decision making,” he added.

The ministry is yet to take a view on increasing the number of subsidized LPG cylinders that can be given to domestic consumers, he said.

Acknowledging that his ministry has received several representations, Moily said a decision on this will be taken based on reality .

“The ministry is yet to take a view on deregulating the price of diesel on the lines of petrol although the oil sector is in favour of it,” he said.

‘Voters in state will favour Congress in assembly poll’

The Congress is certain to come back to power in Karnataka on its own steam after the next elections to the state assembly, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas M Veerappa Moily said.

People of the state have experienced the problems of having an unstable government at the helm of affairs for the past four-and-half-years and will certainly give a decisive vote in favour of one party, he said, adding that Congress will be that party.

Moily told reporters here that regional parties, existing or those that will be set up, including the Karnataka Janata Party that former CM BS Yeddyurappa is all set to launch on December 9 will not make any impact on the Congress.

“Regional parties will be there, but Congress will have its own space (in state politics),” Moily said, adding people have by now realized that only the Congress can provide a stable and able government in Karnataka.

On the reported meeting of BJP leader Arun Jaitley with BS Yeddyurappa at a secret location in the state capital on Saturday in a last ditch effort to keep the Lingayat strongman in the Saffron outfit, Moily said the entire effort is a waste.

“The BJP is broken house and collection of broken minds,” Moily said adding that the visit of Jaitley will not bring about any change in its fortunes.

“BJP is politically a grounded outfit and will not rise,” he said.

Change in guard after Yeddyurappa stepped down as CM and that saw DV Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar step in has not brought about any change in the administration.

“There are ministers and chairmen of board and corporations who are facing charges of corruption,” he said. The government’s reluctance to deal with Lokayukta’s report on mining is an indicator of its mindset in tackling corruption.-Times of India