ONGC Employees to go on 48 hrs token strike from Mar 15

New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) ONGC employees today threatened to go on a two-day strike from March 15, if the government fails to fulfil their demand of recruiting a CMD from within the organisation.

The ONGC Joint Forum of employees associations demanded the government to immediately review its decision of squashing the panel of candidates recommended by Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) for the post of ONGC CMD.

''We don't want to go on strike, but the government has left no other options before us,'' Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (ASTO) President Sanjay Goel told reporters here.

For ONGC, one day strike means the loss of Rs 400 crore, he said.

''The government seems to have an intention of putting the private sector people onto the top post of ONGC, who would remain to be loyal to his parent company. This will be the first step to convert this PSU into a private entreprise,'' Mr Goel said.

Former Member of Parliament and Centre of Indian Trade Unions Secretary Dipankar Mukherjee said, ''Behind the veil, there seems to be a big plan to dismantle the most profitable company''.

The Joint Forum consists of the Associations of Scientific and Technical Officers, Unions and All India SC and ST Employees Welfare Association of ONGC.

In this direction, the forum has submitted its direct action programme to the President, Prime Minister, Petroleum Minister and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson.

The employees propose to go for 12 hours hunger strike at Jantar Mantar here on March 12, and then on a 48-hour strike from 0600 hours of March 15 to 0600 hours of March 17.

PESB had five months ago, selected Mr R S Sharma, Director (Finance), ONGC, for the top job in the petroleum and gas major but the government, in a surprise move, scrapped the choice.

''We want the government to show the reasons behind quashing the panel, as PESB is the autonomous body,'' Mr Goel told reporters here.

Earlier, the government had decided that the composition of the Selection Committee should undergo some change with the inclusion of Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas, as member and addition of one or two outside experts.

Mr Sharma had been selected by the PESB for the key post on August 30, 2006. He has been functioning as acting CMD since May 2006. When the government had decided not to extend the term of then CMD Subir Raha.

''The cancellation of the selected panel drawn by PSEB has given a blow to the pride, dignity and image of ONGC,'' Mr Goel said.

The government, since 1959, has made a cumulative capital investment of Rs 342.85 crore in ONGC.

In return, ONGC has paid back to the government Rs 2,00,380 crore as dividend, contribution to central and state exchequer through royalty, cess, sales tax etc and disinvestment,'' Mr Goel said.

UNI