COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES 52 (2016-2017) SIXTEENTH LOK SABHA FIFTY-SECOND REPORT REVIEW OF PENDING ASSURANCES PERTAINING TO THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS Presented to Lok Sabha on 11 April, 2017 LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI April, 2017/Chaitra, 1939 (Saka) FIFTY-SECOND REPORT COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES (2016-2017) (SIXTEENTH LOK SABHA) REVIEW OF PENDING ASSURANCES PERTAINING TO THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (Presented to Lok Sabha on 11 April, 2017) LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI April, 2017/Chaitra, 1939 (Saka) CGA No. 302 Price: ` 98.00 © 2017 BY LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT Published under Rule 382 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha (Fifteenth Edition) and Printed by the General Manager, Government of India Press, Minto Road, New Delhi-110 002. CONTENTS PAGE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (2016-2017) .............................................. (iii) COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (2015-2016) .............................................. (v) COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (2014-2015) .............................................. (vii) INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... (ix) REPORT I. Introductory............................................................................. 1 II. Review of Pending Assurances pertaining to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas ..................................................... 4 III. Implementation Reports ........................................................... 8 APPENDICES I. Calling Attention dated 16.08.2005 regarding ‘Devastating Fire in Bombay High Oil Platform of ONGC’ ...................... 10 II. USQ No. 2356 dated 08.12.2005 regarding ‘LNG Storage Facilities’ ................................................................................. 24 III. USQ No. 1256 dated 03.08.2006 regarding ‘Fire in Mumbai High North’ ............................................................................. 25 IV. USQ No. 5931 dated 17.05.2007 regarding ‘Exploration of Natural Gas in Bay of Bengal’................................................. 26 V. SQ No. 78 dated 19.02.2009 regarding ‘Kerosene Market System’ ................................................................................... 27 VI. USQ No. 2806 dated 23.07.2009 regarding ‘Allotment of LPG Agency’ ........................................................................... 28 VII. USQ NO. 2009 dated 01.12.2009 regarding ‘Extending Sea Safety Zone’ ........................................................................... 31 VIII. USQ No. 2490 dated 03.12.2009 regarding ‘Exploration in Deep Water Blocks’ ................................................................ 32 IX. USQ No. 4478 dated 17.12.2009 regarding ‘Security of Offshore Oil and Gas Installations’ ........................................ 33 X. SQ No. 481 dated 29.04.2010 (Supplementary by Shri K. C. Venugopal, M.P.) regarding ‘Exploration of Gas in North East’ ......... 34 (ii) PAGE XI. USQ No. 3095 dated 12.08.2010 regarding ‘Ethanol Blended Petrol’ .................................................................................... 38 XII. USQ No. 3193 dated 12.08.2010 regarding ‘Audit of PSC’ .... 40 XIII. USQ No. 4940 dated 26.08.2010 regarding ‘Gas Reser]ves at KG Basin’ .......................................................................... 41 XIV. SQ No. 54 dated 11.11.2010 regarding ‘LPG Connections to BPL Families’ ........................................................................ 42 XV. USQ No. 3779 dated 02.12.2010 regarding ‘Cairn Energy Stake to Vedanta’ .................................................................. 43 XVI. USQ No. 2468 dated 10.03.2011 regarding ‘Investment by ONGC in New Gas Discoveries’............................................ 45 XVII. USQ No. 1953 dated 11.08.2011 regarding ‘Divesting Stakes to Foreign Companies’ .......................................................... 47 XVIII. SQ No. 255 dated 18.08.2011 regarding ‘Capital Investment for production in KG D6 Block’ ............................................ 48 XIX. USQ No. 2798 dated 18.08.2011 regarding ‘Trilateral Meeting on IPI Pipeline’ ...................................................................... 50 XX. USQ No. 2882 dated 18.08.2011 regarding ‘Setting up of CNG Stations’ ....................................................................... 51 XXI. USQ No. 5765 dated 08.09.2011 regarding ‘Petrol Outlets to Terror Victims’ ................................................................... 52 XXII. Extracts from the Manual of Practice and Procedure in the Government of India, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, New Delhi ............................................................................. 53 ANNEXURES I. Minutes of the Sitting of the Committee (2014-15) held on 25.11.2014 ............................................................... 57 II. Minutes of the Sitting of the Committee (2015-16) held on 17.06.2016 ............................................................... 61 III. Minutes of the Sitting of the Committee (2016-17) held on 06.04.2017 ............................................................... 66 COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES* (2016-2017) Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" — Chairperson MEMBERS 2. Shri Rajendra Agrawal @3. Vacant 4. Shri Anto Antony 5. Shri Tariq Anwar 6. Prof. (Dr.) Sugata Bose 7. Shri Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya 8. Shri Bahadur Singh Koli 9. Shri Prahlad Singh Patel 10. Shri A.T. Nana Patil 11. Shri C.R. Patil 12. Shri Sunil Kumar Singh 13. Shri Tasleem Uddin 14. Shri K.C. Venugopal 15. Shri S.R. Vijay Kumar SECRETARIAT 1. Shri R.S. Kambo — Additional Secretary 2. Shri P.C. Tripathy — Director 3. Shri S.L. Singh — Deputy Secretary * The Committee has been re-constituted w.e.f. 01 September, 2016 Vide Para No. 4075 of Lok Sabha Bulletin Part-II, dated 05 September, 2016. @ Shri E. Ahamed passed away on 01 February, 2017. (iii) COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES* (2015-2016) Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" — Chairperson MEMBERS 2. Shri Rajendra Agrawal 3. Shri E. Ahamed 4. Shri Anto Antony 5. Shri Tariq Anwar 6. Prof. (Dr.) Sugata Bose 7. Shri Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya 8. Shri Bahadur Singh Koli 9. Shri Prahlad Singh Patel 10. Shri A.T. Nana Patil 11. Shri C.R. Patil 12. Shri Sunil Kumar Singh 13. Shri Tasleem Uddin 14. Shri K.C. Venugopal 15. Shri S.R. Vijay Kumar SECRETARIAT 1. Shri R.S. Kambo — Additional Secretary 2. Shri J.M. Baisakh — Director 3. Shri S.L. Singh — Deputy Secretary * The Committee was constituted w.e.f. 01 September, 2015 Vide Para No. 2348 of Lok Sabha Bulletin Part-II, dated 31 August, 2016. (v) COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES* (2014-2015) Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" — Chairperson MEMBERS 2. Shri Rajendra Agrawal 3. Shri E. Ahamed 4. Shri Anto Antony 5. Prof. (Dr.) Sugata Bose 6. Shri Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya 7. Shri Bahadur Singh Koli 8. Shri Prahlad Singh Patel 9. Shri A.T. Nana Patil 10. Shri C.R. Patil 11. Shri Sunil Kumar Singh 12. Shri Tasleem Uddin 13. Shri K.C. Venugopal 14. Shri S.R. Vijay Kumar 15. Shri Tariq Anwar** SECRETARIAT 1. Shri R.S. Kambo — Joint Secretary 2. Shri U.B.S. Negi — Director 3. Shri T.S. Rangarajan — Additional Director * The Committee has been constituted w.e.f. 01 September, 2014 Vide Para No. 633 of Lok Sabha Bulletin Part-II, dated 02 September, 2014. ** Nominated to the Committee vide Para No. 1281 of Lok Sabha Bulletin Part-II dated 05 February, 2015. (vii) INTRODUCTION I, the Chairperson of the Committee on Government Assurances (2016-2017), having been authorized by the Committee to submit the Report on their behalf, present this Fifty-Second Report (16th Lok Sabha) of the Committee on Government Assurances. 2. The Committee (2014-2015) at their sitting held on 25 November, 2014 took oral evidence of the representatives of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas regarding 15 pending Assurances from the 5th Session of the 14th Lok Sabha to the 6th Session of 15th Lok Sabha. The Committee (2015-2016) at their sitting held on 17 June, 2016 further took evidence of the representatives of the Ministry regarding pending Assurances from the 7th Session of the 15th Lok Sabha to the 8th Session of the 15th Lok Sabha. 3. At their sitting held on 06 April, 2017, the Committee (2016-2017) considered and adopted their Fifty-Second Report. 4. The Minutes of the aforesaid sittings of the Committee form parts of this Report. 5. For facility of reference and convenience, the Observations and Recommendations of the Committee have been printed in bold letters in the body of the Report. NEW DELHI; DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL “NISHANK”, 07 April, 2017 Chairperson, 17 Chaitra, 1939 (Saka) Committee on Government Assurances. (ix) REPORT I. Introductory The Committee on Government Assurances scrutinize the Assurances, promises, undertakings etc. given by the Ministers from time to time on the floor of the House and report to the extent to which such Assurances, promises, undertakings etc. have been implemented. Once an Assurance has been given on the floor of the House, the same is required to be implemented within three months. The Ministries/Departments of the Government of India are under obligation to seek extension of time, if they are unable to fulfil the Assurance within the prescribed period of three months. Where a Ministry/ Department are unable to implement an Assurance, that Ministry/Department are required to move the Committee for