Have you been able to make a complete assessment of what was going on in the corporate espionage case? What corrective measures have been taken to ensure that there is no repeat of such incidents?

The matter is sub-judice. It will not be proper for me to comment. All I can say is that those who are guilty will not be spared.

We understand that about 15 lakh people have voluntarily given up their subsidy on LPG. This is a result of the successful GiveItUp campaign by the Government…

Our Honourable Prime Minister had appealed to countrymen that those who can afford LPG from their pockets and cook their own meals through non-subsidized gas, should do that. The appeal has caught the imagination of the nation, and over 1.5 million countrymen have given up their LPG subsidy. As you know, domestic LPG is heavily subsidized by the Government, and every cylinder in the kitchen carries a substantial subsidy. This translates into a huge annual subsidy burden on the Government, draining precious resources which could have been used in developmental activities, especially for the poor by providing them drinking water, sanitation and roads. The subsidy burden in 2013 – 2014 was over Rs 40,000 crore. In the next two years, we have a target of 10 million countrymen who will voluntarily give up their subsidy through this campaign. Going by the response, we should be able to achieve our target.

There has been a significant time lag between when international crude prices fall, and when actual reduction in prices of petrol and diesel is passed on to the consumer. Your comments…

The oil companies have delayed passing on the benefit of sliding oil prices to the consumer. Now as a policy, Government has linked prices to the market, which in any case is dynamic most of the time. In the past one and a half year period of the new Government, there has been a sliding trend, and people have benefited.

Quote: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi has given its approval to the Marginal Fields Policy for development of hydrocarbon discoveries made by national oil companies