ID :
39844
Sat, 01/10/2009 - 08:15
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http://m.oananews.org//node/39844
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Govt cracks down on oil executives to resume fuel supply
Ammar Zaidi
New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) The Indian government Friday cracked down on the striking oil Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) executives, ordering arrests and calling the army to restore normal fuel supply that was thrown into disarray on the third day of the nationwide stir.
Government cracked the whip after Oil Minister Murli
Deora briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the failure of
talks with Oil Sector Officers Association (OSOA) Thursday
night, goading Bharat Petroleum, Oil India and Engineers India
executives to return to work to avoid dismissal and arrests.
OSOA struck work on January 7 to press for higher wages,
holding the country to ransom by stopping oil and gas output
and disrupting fuel supplies that brought road traffic to a
halt and delayed domestic and international flights.
About 12,000 petrol pumps of the largest fuel retailer,
Indian Oil, and over 3,000 of BPCL was out of stock, leading
to mile-long queues at HPCL outlets.
Mumbai ran out of compressed natural gas (CNG) that runs
some two lakh buses, taxis and autos but Delhi had enough CNG
and piped natural gas stocks to last 7 to 10 days.
However, with gas available from ONGC, as many as 138 CNG
stations would be fully functional by tonight, Petroleum
Secretary R S Pandey said.
Petrol, diesel supply situation will improve with BPCL
executives calling off the strike and army taking despatch and
loading operations of IOC at Delhi.
"Tough is an understatement," Deora said, even as Pandey
said that army has been called in and arrest orders are being
issued against those who are not relenting.
Officers of ONGC and IOC continued to boycott work.
IOC Chairman Sarthak Behuria said list of officers has
been sent to district authorities with instruction for arrest
if officers do not join duty by tomorrow.
"All resources of government including army will be
harnessed to deal with a very difficult situation created by
oil officers, who are rather well paid," Pandey said while
summarising the events of the last three days including the
failure of talks with OSOA late Thursday night.
The Crisis Management Group met early this morning and
decided on deploying army at supply installations so that
petrol and diesel tankers are moved to filling stations.
Deora also briefed the Cabinet on the emerging crisis.
"Cabinet showed total solidarity with the ministry and
oil companies. We have been given a mandate to use all
resources available with the government to restore supplies,"
said Deora.
Home Minister P Chidambaram, who has been asked by the
Prime Minister to head a committee to resolve the grievances
of the oil PSU officers, said that the Centre has advised
state governments to take firm action.
"Firm action is being taken and will be taken," he added.
The Crisis Management Group headed by Cabinet Secretary K
M Chandrasekhar took certain decisions to deal with the
situation, he said.
"Those decisions have been communicated to the state
governments as well as to other authorities and those
decisions will be implemented," Chidambaram said.
State-owned drilling firm ONGC has reported a more than
50 per cent decline in oil production at its fields off the
Mumbai Coast due to the officers' strike.
Secretary Pandey had said Thursday that the ministry was
not going to invite the officers for talks again and it has
done enough of appealing. PTI ANZ
RKM
NNNN
New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) The Indian government Friday cracked down on the striking oil Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) executives, ordering arrests and calling the army to restore normal fuel supply that was thrown into disarray on the third day of the nationwide stir.
Government cracked the whip after Oil Minister Murli
Deora briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the failure of
talks with Oil Sector Officers Association (OSOA) Thursday
night, goading Bharat Petroleum, Oil India and Engineers India
executives to return to work to avoid dismissal and arrests.
OSOA struck work on January 7 to press for higher wages,
holding the country to ransom by stopping oil and gas output
and disrupting fuel supplies that brought road traffic to a
halt and delayed domestic and international flights.
About 12,000 petrol pumps of the largest fuel retailer,
Indian Oil, and over 3,000 of BPCL was out of stock, leading
to mile-long queues at HPCL outlets.
Mumbai ran out of compressed natural gas (CNG) that runs
some two lakh buses, taxis and autos but Delhi had enough CNG
and piped natural gas stocks to last 7 to 10 days.
However, with gas available from ONGC, as many as 138 CNG
stations would be fully functional by tonight, Petroleum
Secretary R S Pandey said.
Petrol, diesel supply situation will improve with BPCL
executives calling off the strike and army taking despatch and
loading operations of IOC at Delhi.
"Tough is an understatement," Deora said, even as Pandey
said that army has been called in and arrest orders are being
issued against those who are not relenting.
Officers of ONGC and IOC continued to boycott work.
IOC Chairman Sarthak Behuria said list of officers has
been sent to district authorities with instruction for arrest
if officers do not join duty by tomorrow.
"All resources of government including army will be
harnessed to deal with a very difficult situation created by
oil officers, who are rather well paid," Pandey said while
summarising the events of the last three days including the
failure of talks with OSOA late Thursday night.
The Crisis Management Group met early this morning and
decided on deploying army at supply installations so that
petrol and diesel tankers are moved to filling stations.
Deora also briefed the Cabinet on the emerging crisis.
"Cabinet showed total solidarity with the ministry and
oil companies. We have been given a mandate to use all
resources available with the government to restore supplies,"
said Deora.
Home Minister P Chidambaram, who has been asked by the
Prime Minister to head a committee to resolve the grievances
of the oil PSU officers, said that the Centre has advised
state governments to take firm action.
"Firm action is being taken and will be taken," he added.
The Crisis Management Group headed by Cabinet Secretary K
M Chandrasekhar took certain decisions to deal with the
situation, he said.
"Those decisions have been communicated to the state
governments as well as to other authorities and those
decisions will be implemented," Chidambaram said.
State-owned drilling firm ONGC has reported a more than
50 per cent decline in oil production at its fields off the
Mumbai Coast due to the officers' strike.
Secretary Pandey had said Thursday that the ministry was
not going to invite the officers for talks again and it has
done enough of appealing. PTI ANZ
RKM
NNNN
