We Are Ongc

Desecration of the Sacrifice of Oil Men Oil exploration and production is managed by men sitting in glass walled A/C rooms. Drilling for oil is by magic and the offshore activities are like celebrating honeymoon in floating cottages...hitherto undiscovered travesty of truth now goes to the credit of Zee TV primarily and then those competed with Zee for TRP in the same coin. No words are sufficient to condemn this sacrilege of the sacrifices of our oil men, hundreds who sacrificed their lives, two generations who served the country in dense jungle of Assam and in the desert terrains of Thar, serving, retired and above all those who have sacrificed their lives in service of the nation. We, the ONGC people are deeply pained at the irresponsible onslaught of the media on our existence, sacrifice and service since oil was struck at Makum, deep inside the dense jungles of Assam in 1867. We are to reiterate that the sagas scripted in blood cannot be washed away by the crocodile tears of falsehood shed by the media to sensationalize the strike by men of oil industry. Desa-drohi (enemies of the country), one of the channel kept up the shouting while the other staffed by men who have not seen grease and weary of sweating screamed of seeing White Collar Terrorists. And then came the description of blackmailers from the black media.. and thus unfolded the horror movie ‘Sansani’ scripted by media for the public. Shall any honourable media managed by sensible men or women stoop down to such levels of dirty campaign?

Are We Desadrohis? We are to request all lovers of our great country to take an objective look at what this dubious channel had propagated on 7-9 January 2009. Can a media be so ignorant as to announce that all the oil company executives work in A/C rooms and draw a six figure salary per month? Can a go into reporting sensational lines without even caring to know as to what is OSOA and what it means by Oil Sector? The term Oil Sector in India means an Umbrella given by the Government of India for both the Up-stream and Down-stream oil companies. Grouping together of such diverse entities as Up-stream and Down-stream Oil Cos for pay and perks is a reflection of the wisdom that has ruled India during the last six decades. Upstream companies ONGC and Oil India are engaged in the most strenuous task of exploration and production while the Downstream companies undertake refining and marketing of both the indigenous and the imported Oil. In terms of scientific & technical enterprise involved, exploration and production involves ‘gambling’ investments as well as adoption and application of advanced technology in competition to the private and multinational players. Toil across Jwālāmukhi to Karaikkal and Bhavanagar to Sivasagar that Geological Survey began in 1947 was taken up with a new vigor by the newly formed ONGC in 1956 and since then it has been a saga of sweating out the blood in the most inhospitable circumstances. ONGC offices had been working in thatched sheds for major part of its 50 years of activity and even now a great majority of our executives are workers sweating out in the sun and pinching cold under the threat of many hazards – ranging from H2S and other emissions, poor safety and security conditions of offshore and onshore, hostile [email protected] (pass on to all across the country) 1

environs frequented by Cobras to insurgents...Even at the height of Assam agitation when our executives braved the bullets of insurgents, ONGC men strived to care for the nation despite the clutches of sentiments and insecurity and the strike was withdrawn on the sixth day. On how many occasions such tragedies revisited us?

Our Resilience and Restraint We have shown immense resilience and restraint whenever the organization and the nation faced a crisis and never demanded any witch hunting despite our knowledge that the tragedies had been the result of poor management and ineptness of the governmental regulatory bodies. •

On 27 July 2005 because of the mismanagement of the Shipping Corporation of India and lack of safety OSV rammed into BHN and 400 of our men had to jump into the shark infected sea off the coast by 150 KM. We were saved only by providence and we did not stay away from duty even when 2 dozen coffins were brought ashore. We are yet to see the inquiry report published and we don’t know what has been done to avert such tragedies in future. Such is the efficiency and transparency of Governmental bodies and yet we have shown resilience and restraint.

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Even at the height of anger in the aftermath of the Helicopter crash that buried 23 in the Arabian Sea on 11 August 2003, we remained on duty and pain and anguish failed to tilt the anchor we had in service of the nation.

Are We the Desa-drohis? Are we the Desadrohis or those who have been selling the self-reliance and self-sufficiency of the nation for Swiss bank credit? See the following data available on the w.w.web: (www.merinews.com) dated 13 July 2008. Black money in Swiss banks -- Swiss Banking Association report, 2006 details bank deposits in the territory of Switzerland by nationals of following countries: Top five nations are: India: $1456 billion; Russia: $ 470 Billion; UK: $390 Bn; Ukraine: $100 Bn; China: $ 96 Bn Now do the maths - India with $1456 billion or $1.4 trillion has more money in Swiss banks than rest of the world combined. Introductory note to the data says: Dishonest industrialists, scandalous politicians and corrupt IAS, IRS, IPS officers have deposited in foreign banks in their illegal personal accounts a sum of about $ 1500 billion, which have been misappropriated by them. This amount is about 13 times larger than the country’s foreign debt. With this amount 45 crore poor people can get Rs 1,00,000 each. This huge amount has been appropriated from the people of India by exploiting and betraying them. Given the above data now it is up to we Indians to reflect and decide as to who have been betraying our nation? What kind of governance we have got? Who is protecting these Desadrohis? [email protected] (pass on to all across the country) 2

What credibility can be given to the media flashing the faces of these Desa-drohis as Desabhaktas? What makes the media silent about these Desa-drohis? We the ONGC people are placing this challenge before the media to un-earth the relevant details of the Swiss black money of 1500 Billion and place it before the nation. Otherwise let the Indians name the media men appropriately for the collusion with Desa-drohis and Black money terrorists!

Lest We Forget... Unfortunately we are in a country where everything is priced. We can't express our opinion. We cannot tell the public our side of the story. To do that we will have to pay the Media. They are more obsessed with making a sensational story out of someone else's grievance. They do not want to project the correct picture. They will make an innocent look like a criminal. They will make a habitual offender, look like a saint. These people are worse than the most corrupt and horrible black coats and politicians. Media has become the most dirty and business of blackmail in the country.

An Irresponsive Government Machinery May be what we did was wrong. We had another choice to make the deaf ears open? Anyone tried to find out the cause of the strike and the reasons for the failure of the long drawn persuasive process with the MoP&NG? Strike calls were withdrawn several times in the last two and half years. The people who mattered made several assurances and cheated us every time. Even in this last attempt, notice was given several days in advance. But less than a week before the D-day only the government machinery could wake up to appoint a committee. And they were to study again for another month. Given the dominance of the bureaucracy and their habituation to keep gold and pay silver to others, any damn fool can be sure that the “Babus” will not allow them to deliver a favorable decision to us.

Jai Jawan: Jai Kisan - Comparison with Armed Forces Coming to what the media was talking the other day: We get more than what the armed forces get. Oil industry and Armed forces are two entirely different regimes that smacks off any comparison in terms of pay structure. If not for any other reason, the perks and post-retirement benefits in Armed forces are a class of its own and same can be spoken of their living style, social life and other facilities. Can any Media place before the country the cost to the India Inc per month for the military officers? And we all know the slogan of our late Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastry – Jai Jawan: Jai Kisan – can we ignore the claims of the Kisan for a honourable living? We the ONGC officers are to make this challenge before the Government of India: [email protected] (pass on to all across the country) 3

1. We the Indians have the right to know about the sources of the 1500 Bn black money in Swiss bank? If yes, we the ONGC people are ready to finance the expenditures involved in fighting out the ‘right to information’ aspect of the Swiss bank in the International Court of Justice. We are ready to hire for the Government of India the best legal luminary and financial wizard of the country for the purpose. Let us know the decision of the Government and the details for which the drafts to be drawn? 2. We are to honour the slogan of Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri (Jai Jawan –Jai Kisan) and we demand that all pay scales in the country must be rationalized with pay scales for our Jawans and Kisans. Government and the Babus are ready for this sacrifice for the nation? History is yet to document the case of a nation where scientists. engineers, artists and other skilled men are paid in the same coin as the armies. We doubt even the greatest of all Generals, Alexander the Great would not have ventured to do such a blunder for his priced army that conquered “Golden” Persia of 335 BC. Even the military geniuses of Napoleon or Bismark that ruled France and Germany did not strike such a comparison to boost the morale of the army and his country men. Dear Country Men. Let us be beware of these Media Parasites habituated to breed on our corpses...From Hell have they come and to hell shall they go. Let’s not allow them to darken our minds lighted with the sacrifices of our brethren.

ONGC Over the Years (1956 – 2009) 1. In five decades, ONGC has established the following commercial Oil and Gas basins in India. • • • • • •

Assam Arakan Khambhat (Cambay) Mumbai offshore giant reservoir Krishna Godavari (also contributed to Offshore Mahanadi) Cauvery Jaisalmer (also contributed to Barmer-Sanchor belt)

And in all these areas, ONGC has lighted lamps of development in multifarious manner. By any contrast they shine equally as the candles that got lighted in Mumbai in memory of our heroes. 2. From 0.25 MMT per annum in 1947, Oil production was taken to a peak of 35MMT in 1984. 3. Established Natural Gas as a major alternative source of energy in India. 4. Established 5.4 billion barrels of oil reserves in contrast to 1500 billion black money quoted earlier 5. Nearly 80 % of the indigenous production [email protected] (pass on to all across the country) 4

6. Only antidote against the ever increasing imports of oil (2+ million bbls/d) is the sweat of we ongc people and we assert ongc people only.

Holding the Nation to Ransom In states like Bengal and Kerala every week there is a bandh call and one or the other of the political parties play this game to the ruin of the business and the public. None shed tears for the hapless Indians getting doomed by politicians. We are blamed that we held the nation to Ransom from the moment of beginning of the strike itself. In fact our fight was to save this nation. Issue was not of the demand of higher wages by oil sector employees. Issue is the fair and judicious implementation of the VIth Pay Commission across the different sectors Government, PSU categories etc with due consideration for the established practices of earlier revisions 1992 and 1997. Being fair and judicious is the hallmark of good governance that a democratic Government seeks to achieve through all the constitutional provisions available. Can the highly qualified executives of the premiere Indian PSU be so irrational ask to raise a ‘funny’ or exorbitant demand? Shall the 50,000 executives of the 14 organizations (including 5 of the 9 Gems or navaratnas) take on a flight of fantasy to beat the GoI at this critical juncture after 26/11? We leave the conclusions to the objective minds of the Indian Citizen. What was not said by the media and babus may also be noted: 1. Our Company has taken the financial burden of the high oil prices/subsidies in all these years, even after the dismantling of APM. 2. On the other hand the Babus and Netas are trying to kill these very companies by destroying the level playing field by covert means. 3. Poor wages insufficient to have a dignified living in a society infected by IT and Media mean have forced many of the talented men to seek greener pastures. Attrition rate may kindly be noted. ONGC IOC BPCL HPCL OIL GAIL

2004 50 46 102 56 7 27

2005 113 92 167 90 7 32

2006 300 160 250 150 30 60

4. If the trend continues, it will not be long before these companies shall be deprived of their talent and the fields and established reserves be entrusted to private players. ONGC will be destroyed and that apparently is the agenda of some political masters.

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5. Babus and Netas and their Media agents want to sell ONGC piece by piece and once the Private players take over, the poor Indian shall be the first victim as these private players shall never bear the subsidy burden at the cost of even one rupee of their profit. Just take the case of Reliance who closed all their fuel pumps when crude price was high and fuel prices were not increased by GoI. Why did not the government force them to open their bunks by using ESMA or NSA? 6. We are going to witness worst situations in future. Buy the R+ fuel at high price or the pumps will close. What if the imported crude of $100 is refined and by the time the price drops to $50 in international market? R+ will have no other way than inflating the Swiss accounts for maintaining the high prices in India till their stock is exhausted. 7. Business houses like R, E etc and multinationals are beyond the law. And the media will be very happy to flash their faces with praise if a share is given of the Swiss Franc.

Mis-propaganda by the Government The government is making a false propaganda that entry level PSU officers would get a salary of Rs 1,00,000 per month. As per Department of Public Enterprises guidelines issued, gross emoluments of an entry level officer comes out to be Rs 38,317 if posting is in remote locations. This shows that the entry level officers would get Rs 4,000 5,000 less if posting is not in remote location. We do get house rent allowance up to Rs 10,000 in metros but that is a taxable perk. Whereas in the case of the bureaucrats who live in posh localities of the capital not tax is levied for the palatial accommodation given along with servants and servant’s quarters. Then there was media scream that we are paid 2 lacs to 4 lacs a month. Most of us even after working for 20 years take home a salary of not more than 30000/- a month. Our contemporaries in college who joined the private company are receiving no less than a salary of 3 lacs a month. Even though parity of pay structure had been our slogan, we did compromise to the maximum and what we sought were only ornamental corrections to Rao Committee recommendations. We seek a salary sufficient for dignified living in this era of liberalization and globalization. Babus cannot continue to feed us on peanuts. PSUs had been a dream of Jawaharlal Nehru as temples of India’s self-sufficiency. But in the changed social milieu of poor Indians surpassing the rich in Swiss records, we have come to be pitted against capitalist rulers who wish to suppress the workmen with brute force. We are aware of the circumstances after 26/11 and this is not the time to seek sacrifice of our brothers for pay and perks. They have withdrawn and not surrendered. We salute the poor Indians in uniform pitted against the terrorists and Pakistan. We are not demoralized or fallen into silence of being cynical. We have returned to work to make our resolve stronger and to be in guard against those who would like to sell ONGC and India to business houses. We shall strive for a greater day for the PSUs and shall stay loyal to this great Nation. LONG LIVE ONGC

LONG LIVE INDIA [email protected] (pass on to all across the country) 6