NEW DELHI, June 17 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi expressed his dismay at the oil giant ONGC�s failure to exploit the marginal oil fields in the State leading to loss of revenue for the State.
The Chief Minister said he raised the issue with the Prime Minister as well as the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Murli Deora. �I am very unhappy with the state of affairs,� he said.
The Public Sector Company is neither exploiting nor paying any royalty to the State Government for these marginal fields, he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has decided to press the pause button on its demand for roll back of the prices of natural gas in Assam.
Gogoi said the Union Petroleum Minister argued that a higher natural gas rate translated into higher royalty for the State Government and in the ultimate analysis, it stood to gain.
Gogoi sad he has sought some time to study the issue and take decision on pressing for the roll back. The State Government has to pay an additional Rs 30 crore because of the 115 per cent rise in prices of gas. About 60 per cent of the State�s power plants are gas-based.