According to some policy experts, India is slowly withdrawing from the Gas pipe line project with Iran. CPM polit bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan today expressed the concern that, India’s withdrawal is due to American pressure. Official authorities says the reason as the higher price demanded by Iran. In fact, experts point out that this is a clear withdrawal of India from the project as per the norms in Indo-US Nuclear Agreement.

Foreign Ministry sources told that, Iran wants the price of Natural Gas to be 5.9$ per MBTU Unit. This price is in comparison to the crude oil price of 40$. Foreign Ministry Sources added that this was informed to Indian Ambassador by H Ganmi Fardh, who leads the talks between India and Iran in this matter. Iran hasn’t given any official confirmation for this yet.

India and Pakistan had earlier agreed to pay 4.93$ per MBTU of Natural Gas. But India almost withdrew from further discussions with Iran in the wake of signing nuclear agreement with US. Also in the ‘Head Act’ that American congress passed in 2006 Dec, it is clearly stated that India should co-operate with the US efforts to isolate Iran. India, which voted two times against Iran in IAEA, started keeping distance with Iran in its relations afterward.

Discussions regarding the Pipe line had started in the early Nineties between India and Iran. UPA government had decided to start this project by 2005 and to complete it by 2010, but the project always got dragged due to American pressure. This made Iran Presdient Ahmadi Najad once to say that they will go ahead with the project avoiding India. Najad visited India in 2008 only to discuss this issue, but there were no results. Now India is again raising the price issue with the clear intention to withdraw from the project. This is done only to protect the American interests, even when India is facing severe Natural Gas shortage. Reported a leading local leftist News paper.