Kharsang contractors react sharply to Geo Enpro Petroleum Limited CEO's comment

OUR CORRESPONDENT

BORDUMSA: The first phase of the peaceful and democratic agitation undertaken by local organisations including local NGOs, students' organizations and others in Arunachal's easternmost edge of Kharsang entered it's fifth day. The two days of tool-down programme launched by several organizations on July 16, ended on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile on Saturday morning,the contractors associated with the Kharsang-based 'Geo Enpro Petroleum Limited' at Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh sharply reacted to the comment of the company CEO who had dubbed the ongoing agitation of the contractors as "the act of some vested groups having own interests".

The sharp reaction came during a sudden meeting called to this effect at the Kharsang Circuit House here in Changlang District on Saturday morning. The meeting attended by various students bodies, youth associations, NGOs and contractors refuted the telephonic allegations of the CEO.

The voice clippings of the CEO with the media person of a local daily at Kharsang was in circulation and that caused sensation among the agitators and contractors.

Referring to their earlier meeting with officials of the company held on June 3 over the job cuts of several contractual workers, the local contractors said that they also agreed to go for 4 per cent reduction of their contractual commission. But it was on the condition that the company would not reduce manpower as was proposed by the Geo Enpro petroleum Ltd in the meeting due to the company's "adverse financial status".

The contractors further stated that the company secured both its purposes. It not only reduced the contractors' commissions but also threw several workers out of the employment. This is "double standard policy of the company," they alleged.

"We have submitted a representation to this effect earlier on June 17 after we received the formal letter from the company dated June 10 regarding reducing of manpower," they stated.

Meanwhile, the student bodies have also reacted strongly to the company CEO's remark. The students' organizations have called for oil browsers bandh from June 15 and tool-down protest from June 17 across the 11-square kilometers of Kharsang Oil Field here. They said, "Our peaceful and democratic agitation is being propelled by the fact that our bonafide brethren workers have been thrown out of employment amidst the COVID 19 crises wherein the very sustenance of their families is intricately connected.

"Our collective drive aims at pursuing the company to get the hapless workers back to their jobs and ensure two square meals for them rather than realising any other vested ends," said the president of Tangsa Youth Association, Samson Negmu.

"We are not concerned about the accounts-related financial chapters, nor the profit-loss scenario and tall talk of the company justifying it's ground , " said the general secretary All Tangsa Student Union, Samchan Changmi. The advisor of Kharsang Circle Unemployed Youth Association said, "We are expecting the company board to come out with a desirable decision keeping in view the plight of the poor workers and the sentiments of the local people.

On the other hand, the Company in a letter dated July 15, 2020 to Kharsang ADC, sought the intervention of the local administration if the company's activities — including the production process suffers and oil browsers obstructed. The administration's help was sought to evacuate crude oil from the Kharsang unit. The company further pointed out that the subsequent loss would also affect the petroleum royalty to the State government and also cess, as well as to the Central government. "Once the operation is shut down, the restoration of the production to current level may not be possible in future which would be detrimental for all the stakeholders', the letter read.

The deadlock occurring at Kharsang is in Changlang district within the Miao-Kharsang Constituency. The local MLA is Kamlung Mossang who is one of the State Ministers. Three kilometers away from Kharsang is the Bordumsa Constituency and Somlung Mossang is the MLA.

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