Agartala: In a unique sort of protest, more than one thousand employees and staff of ONGC Tripura asset abstained from taking any sort of food. The employees under the banner of the Association of Scientific & Technical Officers (ASTO) observed the day-long fast putting forth an eight-point charter of demands before the ONGC management.
According to a leaflet circulated by the employees, the major demands included: immediate restoration of employer contribution to 15 per cent in PRBS account, payment of statutory allowances to officers working in the field from January 01, 2017; compensation for the extra duties; Grant of C-off to the field going executives, immediate release of NE transfers and revision of TA expenses etc.
According to insiders, simmering resentment is brewing among the mid-level officers of ONGC Tripura asset, eventually bringing the productivity of the asset to an unprecedented halt. The reason behind this was the Covid-19 induced non-transfer policy, added source.
“In Tripura, most of the ONGC officials come for a three-year tenure deputation. After the tenure gets completed, they leave for their new assignments. But, due to the Covid-19, no transfer has taken place for the last two years. Last year owing to the nationwide lockdown and restrictions in movement from one place to another, the scheduled transfers have been suspended. This year too, as the Covid 19 situation is still getting bitter in some states, there are less hopes left for the transfers”, a source said adding that in total two batches of officials who joined Tripura asset in the year 2017 and 2018 got stranded in Tripura asset.
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Most of the officials, sources said, come from heartland Indian states. In some cases families are staying outside, some of them are eager to admit their students in the various academic institutions and in some cases, there are some other commitments that are to be kept. But, since the transfers were postponed, the officers were left in a stagnant condition, the source further added.
