Ex-Supreme Court judge to mediate row between government & RIL consortium over K-G gas

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday appointed former judge Ranjana Prakash Desai as the sole mediator to resolve the long-running $1.73 billion Krishna-Godavari basin gas migration dispute between a Reliance Industries-led consortium and the government, after the two sides failed to reach an amicable settlement in the case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi referred the matter for mediation after attorney general R Venkataramani informed that the parties were unable to arrive at a "viable solution".

The bench said Justice Desai, a former judge of the top court, could take assistance from two domain experts as may be suggested by the parties to facilitate the mediation process. The two sides assured the court that they would extend full cooperation to the mediator.


The court will take up the case again after four weeks and check the progress of the mediation.