Delhi government's Anti Corruption Branch, ACB, has registered an FIR with respect to alleged irregularities in the pricing of natural gas from KG basin. This follows the government directing the ACB to file criminal cases against Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily, former Union Minister Murli Deora, DG Hydracarbons V K Sibal, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and others in this connection.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh requesting him to put on hold the hike in natural gas price proposed from April this year till the probe is over. He has also requested Dr Singh to direct all concerned ministries to extend full cooperation for the probe. In his letter, the Chief Minister demanded that the oil fields allocated to Reliance Industries be taken back as it failed to produce targeted quantity, leading to scarcity of gas and forcing the country to import the natural gas at a high cost.

Our correspondent reports, the price of gas from April this year, under the revised formula, is estimated to be 8.2 to 8.4 dollars per million British Thermal Unit as against the current 4.2 dollars.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs last year approved the Rangarajan formula for pricing domestic gas at an average of international gas hub price and actual cost of importing gas into India.