AASU Sivasagar unit sponsored 100-hr ONGC bandh from August 28 is in protest against the PSU’s anti-local and privatisation policies, leaders of the student body claimed here in a press meet. Sarat Hazarika, education secretary, AASU central committee, Samiran Phukan, secretary, district committee unit, Manik Gogoi, member, central executive, Pradip Borgohain, adviser and Ashim Dutta, president, district committee, demanded clarifications from ONGCL on a number of points included in the memorandum submitted to the ED, ONGC, on May 21 last.
“The ONGC’s move to hand over the most profit-making Geleki oilfield under it to Schlumberger Pvt Ltd under a ‘Production Enhancing Contract’ is part of the anti-Assam policies the PSU has been undertaking from time to time,” Sarat Hazarika said. ONGC invested around Rs 262 crore to revamp the Geleki oilfield recently and now the same has been leased out to the US company Schlumberger. He added that ONGC had withdrawn a similar contract lease of an oilfield in Gujarat allegedly due to political pressure. “The AASU will not stop agitating unless the ONGC comes up with a clear account of its CSR expenditures in Sivasagar and Charaideo, he said. The students’ body claimed that ONGC did not care to respond to all points mentioned in the 10-point charter of demands and kept mum for over three months.
AASU leaders said that ONGC Nazira has not fulfilled the commitment of recruiting unskilled workers from among the locals. They demanded that ONGC must continue its operations from all the high-yielding fields at Panidihing, Dimuwal, Desungmukh, Changmaigaon, Suffry and Sonari as the Union Environment Ministry has cleared the projects. AASU leaders said that the ONGC did not fulfil the commitment of a Rs 17-crore package for beautification of Sivasagar town and completion of the District Library.
