A heated parliamentary exchange unfolded yesterday between Energy Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal and Opposition MP Stuart Young concerning Heritage Petroleum Company Limited’s awarding of a lease operatorship agreement to TN Ramnauth & Co Ltd.
The confrontation began when Young demanded disclosure regarding how many Lease Operator Agreements or Farm Out Agreements Heritage Petroleum had granted to TN Ramnath and Company Ltd or its affiliated entities since May 1, 2025. Minister Moonilal initially noted he had previously addressed this inquiry on March 6, prompting Young to question whether the minister was deliberately withholding information about contracts awarded to “his friend, TN Ramnath.”
After House Speaker Jagdeo Singh intervened, directing Moonilal to provide a substantive response, the energy minister confirmed Heritage Petroleum had issued exactly one lease operatorship agreement to the specified company. Moonilal vehemently denied any personal relationship with TN Ramnath, asserting the company had no special connections to anyone within the government.
The minister then launched a counteroffensive, accusing Young of harboring malicious intentions against TN Ramnath while favoring his own associates. Moonilal revealed that on May 6, 2021, while Young served as energy minister, the Legal Department had forwarded recommendations for lease operatorship agreements to six companies including TN Ramnath & Co.
According to Moonilal’s account, Young approved five of the six companies on May 10, 2021, withholding only one sub-licence due to unspecified concerns requiring further investigation. Moonilal criticized Young for apparently continuing these inquiries three years later into 2025, characterizing this delay as evidence of “malice, vindictiveness and wickedity.”
The minister detailed that upon assuming office on May 3, 2025, he approved TN Ramnath’s agreement on July 14 after a three-month review process. Moonilal emphasized that legal authorities confirmed Young had never formally raised any concerns about the company during this period.
The exchange concluded with Young attempting to reference an ongoing corruption case involving both Moonilal and TN Ramnath, but the Speaker promptly ruled this question out of order.