R.S. Sharma

NEW DELHI: Terming the uncertainty over the appointment of a new chairman for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) "unfortunate," the ONGC Association of Scientific and Technical Officers on Friday demanded that an internal candidate be installed as permanent chairman without any further delay.

In an official statement here, association president Sanjay Goel said the Government's decision to reject the recommendations of the Public Sector Enterprises Board (PSEB) and as well as the candidature of internal candidates demoralised and agitated the ONGC community.

It also sent confused signals to other stakeholders.

The Association was reacting to the scrapping of the candidature of R.S. Sharma for the post. Mr. Sharma is now holding temporary charge of ONGC.

"It is strange that the decision of the PSEB has been turned down after a long and inordinate bureaucratic delay leaving a question mark over the sanctity of the Board's credentials and its decision-making. The 38,000-strong ONGC family is at a loss to comprehend the reasons behind this decision and demands that immediate orders be issued to settle the issue and clear the air of uncertainty," Mr. Goel said.

CITU concern

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions expressed its concern over the uncertainty caused by the absence of a regular chief executive of ONGC.

In a statement here, president M.K. Pandhe said the CITU was shocked that the Government, which otherwise did not lose any opportunity to undermine the public sector undertakings, could not decide on a successor to fill the post for nine months since May 2006.

It was the height of ad hocism and the Government owed an explanation on how it had taken more than five months to finalise its decision on a panel recommended by the PESB and the reported scrapping of the panel, which had led to further uncertainty.

Such indecision was bound to have an impact on the image of the company, which had an established global identity.

The CITU demanded that the Government come clean on the issue and appoint a regular chairman at the earliest.

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