(a) whether the Shipping Corporation of India has requested the Government to take up the issue of assured crude cargo with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas;
(b) if so, whether the Government have taken up the matter with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and
(c) if so, the response thereto?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SHIPPING ((SHRI SHRIPAD Y. NAIK)
(a) & (b): Yes, Sir.
(c) : Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas is of the view that after dismantling of Administrative Price Mechanism (APM) from 1.4.2002, individual oil public sector companies such as Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and Indian Oil Corporation would be free to make their own arrangements for sourcing/transportation of crude oil.