Protest against ONGC move on Assam Asset

SIVASAGAR, Dec 20 – In the wake of an alleged move by ONGC to make Assam Asset, Nazira a subsidiary company under ONGCL, a meeting was organized by Sivasagar District Students’ Union in Sivasagar Natya Mandir today and called upon the conscious citizens to express their views on the matter which the students’ organization believes to be a part of a big conspiracy hatched by the Ministry of Petroleum against Assam. Promod Gogoi, former minister and president, Tel Pathar Sangram Parishad, spearheading the movement against oil field privatization,said that ONGC’s move to degrade Assam Asset as a subsidiary unit is a “calculated move towards privatization.” It will spell doom for the economy of upper Assam and drastically alter the economic status of the people by truncating employment sector, business opportunities and will lead to destruction of environment, he said.

Addressing the meeting Dr Soumerjyoti Mahanta, president, Sivasagar Press Club, said that ONGC’s top-heavy management policy is responsible for the fall in production of oil in Assam Asset from over 3MT to 1.2 MT per year, where Oil India Ltd (OIL) Duliajan has been successful in keeping up the production. ONGC’s policy of Quarterly Transit Facility (QTF) specially designed for the outside employees deputed to Assam, under which an employee is entitled to avail of back and forth air fare for himself and his family has drained the Navaratna company of vital revenues, he added.

Under the QTF, ONGCians from outside come to Assam as tourists and spend the three-year tenure comfortably without involving themselves in duties here as responsible officers. This facility cannot be availed byemployees trasferred to other sectors, which is not only discriminatory, but also unethical, considering the normal law and order situation prevailing in Assam, Dr Mahanta added.

Guna Boruah, senior journalist, in his speech said that some senior ONGC employees on the verge of retirement have been working against the interest of the state and are hand-in -gloves with foreign companies for past retirement engagements as top executives. It is this section that certified Amguri oil field as a dry one and convinced the government to lease the field out to Conoro Resources Lt.

Deven Boruah, a retired ONGC officer, called upon the citizens to fight unitedly against the conspiracy of ONGC management.

Tapan Gogoi, secretary, AASU, addressing the meeting said that AASU will never allow the Ministry of Petroleum to separate Assam Asset from ONGC and resist the attempt with all its might.

The meeting was presided over by Pronob Chetia, president, Sivasagar Disrtict Students’ Union and was attended by Sarat Hazarika, AASU organising secretary, Manik Gogoi, Prodip Gohain and J. Gogoi .

It may be mentioned that AASU leaders will meet two Directors of ONGC, Ajit Hazarika, Director on-shore, and Dr AK Balyan, Director, HR, at Nazira tomorrow to discuss about AASU’s proposed 96-hour bundh call beginning from December 21.