There had been speculation that NTPC would file a special leave petition before the Supreme Court.

Moily asserted that the 'final decision' in the RIL-NTPC case will be made in the courts.

Interestingly, the panel meeting was also attended by the NTPC chairman R.S. Sharma and Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam. The latter had recommended earlier that NTPC should move the Supreme Court.

The next meeting of the ministerial panel will take place Aug 24.

In June, the Bombay High Court asked Reliance Industries to supply 28 million units of gas from the KG fields to Reliance Natural Resources for 17 years at $2.34 per unit.

But Reliance Industries challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court, which heard the case July 20 and fixed Sep 1 as the next date of hearing. The court also asked all parties to file their replies on the government position on the matter by then.

The petroleum ministry has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court with the plea that Krishna-Godavari gas was national property.