NEW DELHI-Soft Deal with Oil Companies

NEW DELHI 'Soft' Deal with TH E Petroleum Ministry has constituted a special committee to start negotiations with the foreign oil companies, Esso particularly, on the proposals they have recently made to the government. The proposals were sent to the government several weeks ago and at the time there were inspired reports that the government was not interested in them but would rather nationalise the foreign oil companies at a time of its own choosing. This, it now turns out, was only part of the Petroleum Ministry's favourite public relations ploy of striking tough postures vis-a-vis the oil companies even when it knows perfectly well that it can hope to achieve nothing thereby. Accordingly, the Ministry's attitude has begun to change within a few weeks and the Petroleum Minister., II R Gokhale, appears to be fast becoming a votary of a policy of accommodation towards the oil companies. Whether this is part of the general thaw towards the USA it is difficult to say.