New Delhi, July 29: Anil Ambani has decided to push for a quick resolution of the gas dispute with his brother Mukesh.

Reliance Natural Resources (RNRL) — Anil’s Rs 417-crore minnow that is locked in a bitter battle with Reliance Industries, the Rs 152,000-crore leviathan — plans to request the Supreme Court tomorrow to hold a final hearing in the case on September 1.

The court has already posted the case for hearing on that date, but the younger Ambani doesn’t want to give RIL (Reliance Industries Limited) or the petroleum ministry the opportunity to use dilatory tactics to prolong the case as that will hurt RNRL’s economic interests.

A day after his fire-and-brimstone speech at the RNRL annual general meeting in Mumbai, Ambani told reporters at a conference call: “Today, RNRL has served notice on the petroleum ministry and Reliance Industries informing them that the RNRL counsel will raise its demand for a speedy hearing in the case.”

It may be tough to complete the hearing within a day because the court is due to hear cross-appeals filed by RNRL and RIL against the June 15 order of Bombay High Court as well as the petroleum ministry’s special leave petition in the case.

“Since the petroleum ministry has said on several occasions that the matter is of national importance, RNRL will request them to support our demand for an early final hearing and not get misguided by RIL which, we believe, only wants to delay the matter,” Ambani said.

According to a late night agency report, Reliance is unlikely to oppose Anil’s move. “I have nothing to say. If the court decides to hear it, why should I oppose,” RIL counsel Harish Salve told PTI.

The government, too, seems to prefer an early resolution. “No, we have no objection. Why should we oppose. Even the government would want an early hearing and early resolution of the matter,” an official connected with the case said here on the condition of anonymity.

The government has also been crafting its own legal strategy as it plans to escalate its own role in the gas dispute by becoming a party to the suit.

Sources say the government is likely to drop its plea to the court to nullify the family pact between the Ambani brothers in 2005 that served as the basis for the demerger of the Reliance group.

Earlier, it had planned to ask the Supreme Court to declare null and void those bits in the family pact that damaged the government’s interests — especially the provision relating to the supply of gas from the Krishna-Godavari basin.

The government may also urge the court to initiate contempt proceedings against Anil Ambani who accused the petroleum ministry of acting in a “partisan and biased manner” when the matter was sub judice.

While Anil Ambani was pushing for an early resolution of the case, the gas dispute raised a din in the Lok Sabha where Samajwadi Party MPs demanded the resignation of petroleum minister Murli Deora forcing the House to be adjourned thrice during the day.

Meanwhile, Anil met officials in the finance ministry to explain his position and lobby for support.

Sources said the younger Ambani scion met finance secretary Ashok Chawla and other top officials to drive home the point that gas to Reliance Natural Resources at $2.34 per mBtu would not result in any loss of revenue to the government.