Giving his views Dr Awasthi tweeted” Going to @Muscat Oman to attend board meeting of #omifco. Reduction in gas supplies is matter of great concern hope for early resumption.”
The government of India has been vexed on the issue of Oman raising natural gas price leading to a sharp rise in the price of fertiliser imported by India under a long-term off-take agreement.
Earlier, the finance ministry has rejected a request for increasing the price of urea imported from Omifco, an equal joint venture of Indian and Oman firms.
According to Indian officials, Oman’s revision of the price of natural gas supplied to Omifco violates the agreement that mandates supply of gas at a fixed price till 2015.
India’s agreement with Oman allows it to purchase all the urea produced by Omifco for 15 years at predetermined prices.
The followers of Dr U S Awasthi on Twitters are wishing him good luck as the issue is seen as ticklish. One of them says “ Hope gas issue will get resolved qckly under ur presence.GOI should also follow-up the matter with #Oman govt”.
Another one tweets “Hope some Gas supply is resumed such that both Plants can run albeit with little reduced Load.”