Cairn-Vedanta deal needs our consent, says ONGC.

press trust of indiaNEW DELHI, 30 AUG: State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) today said UK's Cairn Energy Plc could not sell a majority stake in Cairn India to Vedanta Resources without its consent. ONGC's claim is based on what it called pre-emptive rights in oilfields like Rajasthan, where it is an equity partner with Cairn India. In a letter to Cairn Energy Plc chief executive Mr Bill Gammell, ONGC company secretary NK Sinha sought details of the Vedanta deal, saying the Edinburgh-based firm required consent of ONGC besides other governmental approvals to consummate the proposed sale of up to a 51 per cent stake in Cairn India to London-listed Vedanta. The state-owned firm owns …