Irked by a media campaign that it would earn a windfall profit of Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion) from gas fields, RIL has said the charges were timed to sabotage the government's efforts to get investments in oil sector.
"What makes the current campaign even more calumnious is that it has been launched not only when the matter is subjudice before the Supreme Court, but also seems timed to sabotage the government's entire efforts to get investments under NELP-VIII," RIL said in a letter to the Oil Ministry.
Without naming Anil Ambani group, which apart from making public statements had brought out an advertisement campaign alleging that RIL stands to make super-normal profits with the support of the ministry, RIL offered to make any clarification that may be required on the subject.
"The interests of the country and its people are being unfortunately held to ransom by a group of people, who seem to be stopping at nothing, be it slander or blatant perversion of facts, to achieve their questionable aims," RIL's oil business chief P M S Prasad wrote to Oil Secretary R S Pandey.
In its campaign, Anil Ambani group, which is also fighting a legal battle with RIL for getting gas at a price identical to one quoted in the 2004 NTPC tender, had alleged at the rate of the approved $4.2 per mmBtu RIL would make huge profits, while government would get a meagre Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion).
