Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal today charged Reliance Industries with blackmailing the UPA government on the supply of natural gas to power plants from K G Basin and demanded cancellation of the contract. Talking to reporters in New Delhi today, Mr Kejriwal said, the government should immediately put in place adequate systems to get full production of gas from KG basin at the cheapest prices. He said if the company’s demand for hike in gas price is accepted by the government, it would result in shutting down of several gas-based power plants and will also increase prices of power and fertilizers.

Reliance Industries rejected the charges of receiving favours from government for its KG-D6 gas project and said that allegations levelled against it were irresponsible and made at the behest of vested interests. The company in a statement said, the deep-water exploration project in the KG-D6 basin has deployed the best technical resources and has been recognised by the oil and gas industry as one of the very best in its class.