1 00:00:03,808 --> 00:00:13,279 (Phone ringing) 2 00:00:13,279 --> 00:00:18,399 Niira: Mr. Prasad, Hi! Prasad: Yeah. Niira: Are you in a meeting? Should I call you later? Prasad: No, no. 3 00:00:18,399 --> 00:00:25,312 Niira: No, no, no...I was...sorry. I just wanted to...I have got Tata Power going into an editor's briefing just now. 4 00:00:25,312 --> 00:00:33,248 Niira: We are withdrawing 500 megawatts of power supply that is being given to R Power for northern Bombay, for north Bombay. 5 00:00:33,248 --> 00:00:39,392 Prasad: Hmm! Niira: This is based on the Supreme Court judgement which was given last year on distribution and allowing them to distribute directly. 6 00:00:39,392 --> 00:00:50,144 Prasad: Right, right. Niira: Now, it is obviously quite a tough thing to get Tata Power to agree that they should now just withdraw the power and do it themselves. 7 00:00:50,144 --> 00:00:56,544 Niira: The chairman was very... Ratan Tata was very keen but the company had not wanting to do it but they have finally agreed. 8 00:00:56,544 --> 00:01:06,272 Prasad: Ok. Niira: Uh huh... What I wanted to tell them was three things. One is that when we looked at Sasan, when Sasan was given as a UMPT, diversion of coal took place at that time. 9 00:01:06,272 --> 00:01:10,624 Niira: You remember Tata power had gone to court against diversion of coal. Prasad: I know, I know. Infact... 10 00:01:10,624 --> 00:01:15,487 Niira: Yeah and we lost the High Court battle also. We are presently in the Supreme Court. 11 00:01:15,487 --> 00:01:22,912 Niira: Then there was Spectrum. Spectrum was allotted by Mr. Raja on a retrospective basis. Prasad: Correct. 12 00:01:22,912 --> 00:01:32,384 Niira: To him and then to TDSAT. TDSAT judgment again was done for nothing less than 375 pages...Uh huh, again landed up in Supreme Court. 13 00:01:32,384 --> 00:01:36,479 Prasad: Yes. Niira: The third thing is gas. Price has never been determined. 14 00:01:36,479 --> 00:01:42,368 Niira: Price has... Well price has been determined by the government but as far as the MOU said it never had a price on it. Again natural resource. 15 00:01:42,368 --> 00:01:52,096 Niira: Here is a man who only wants to use the system to garner natural resource for personal profit. Prasad: Yes. 16 00:01:52,096 --> 00:02:00,800 Niira: That's the perspective that I want to put out because he is also getting getting iron ore mines in Jharkhand being allocated when he doesn't even have a steel plant. Prasad: Yes. 17 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,919 Niira: This is what I wanted Tata... If Tata Power briefs this is that... 18 00:02:05,919 --> 00:02:12,575 Prasad: No, that is absolutely right. No nothing is going to happen. Absolutely the right perspective and I want to tell you one thing more. 19 00:02:12,575 --> 00:02:25,119 Niira: Hmm! Prasad: Go a little bit even beyond this and then say... Niira, the natural resource of the country should be gainfully utilised... 20 00:02:25,119 --> 00:02:30,495 Niira: Hmm! Prasad: And in a manner that is in public interest. Niira: Correct. 21 00:02:30,495 --> 00:02:49,695 Prasad: Here is something, someone, who is trying to garner all the natural resources as you said for the private profit and... And whether it is particularly with reference to gas as an (inaudible) how a private MOU... 22 00:02:49,695 --> 00:02:56,863 Niira: Hmm! Prasad: Between two partners of a contractor. Niira: Hmm! 23 00:02:56,863 --> 00:03:02,495 Prasad: You should bring that you know. Reliance Industries is a contractor to Government of India. Niira: Correct, correct. 24 00:03:02,495 --> 00:03:11,455 Prasad: And the Government of India asked us to you know dig the foundation and build a house. Whatever right? Develop something. Niira: Hmm! 25 00:03:11,455 --> 00:03:19,136 Prasad: Now the contractor has two partners. Partners are brothers or whatever. A contractor is an entity. Niira: Hmm! 26 00:03:19,136 --> 00:03:21,951 Prasad: And we can - there are two partners. Niira: Hmm! 27 00:03:21,951 --> 00:03:35,007 Prasad: And...how can a private agreement between these two partners...takeover the government's natural resource and use it for the benefit of one of the parties. 28 00:03:35,007 --> 00:03:38,847 Niira: Hmm! Correct. Prasad: That is what is happening here. See... 29 00:03:38,847 --> 00:03:44,735 Niira: Yes absolutely. Prasad: Whatever may be the private arrangement between the brothers, right... Niira: That's their private arrangement. 30 00:03:44,735 --> 00:03:56,000 Prasad: It's a private arrangement. How can that be used to select for a one person corner in 35% of the gas? Niira: Yes. 31 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:02,399 Prasad: And...you know when the rest of the gas is so widely being distributed, right? Niira: Yes. 32 00:04:02,399 --> 00:04:16,223 Prasad: So isn't this that a private arrangement between two parties is now taking what you call as garnering all the, capturing all the natural resources of the country and the government is a silent spectator. 33 00:04:16,223 --> 00:04:28,000 Niira: Hmm! Absolutely. Absolutely. Prasad: This shows a clear trend whether it is in gas, whether it is in coal or whether it is in power or whether it is in... 34 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,582 Niira: Whether it is in telecom spectrum. That's right. Prasad: Or iron ore. Where ever it is. 35 00:04:31,582 --> 00:04:35,679 Niira: Yes. All natural resources of the country. For one man. Prasad: Yes! 36 00:04:35,679 --> 00:04:41,133 Niira: Well I just wanted to get your ok for us to push that (inaudible) yeah. So it will be on the bases of all informal briefings and then let the mind... (Tape ends abruptly.)