Oilfield auctions: Allies BJP, AGP not on same page as protests erupt in Assam

Guwahati: Differences have cropped up between the BJP and Asom Gana Parishad, the two allies in the Assam government, after Union Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan declared handing over of 12 small oilfields in the state to private companies to extract crude oil.[caption id=“attachment_2109713” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] Opposing this decision AGP leader and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta told Firstpost on Wednesday that the BJP is following the path once walked upon by the Congress, as regards to the oilfields in Assam. “We opposed when Congress decided the same with the oilfields in Assam and we continue to do it now even if the decision is made by our ally,” said Mahanta. He said that handing over the oilfields to private firms is against the interest of Assam. Dipanka Kumar Nath, president of All Assam Students Union (AASU), which also tows the same line, said that the students body will oppose this decision all along.’ “We are going to organise protest meetings in a phased manner from 4 July in the state," he said. Nath said that exploration of crude oil has been carried out by two public sector behemoths Oil India limited and Oil And Natural Gas Corporation Limited in Assam for a long time. But suddenly these companies find themselves not competent enough to extract oil from small oil fields and the Centre decides to hand them over to private companies. “The Centre should try to enhance the capability of the public sector companies,” he said. Nath said that AASU has been demanding the Centre to grant right to the indigenous people, over the natural resources of Assam. “Handing over the oilfields to private sector companies only means showing disrespect to such demand,” the AASU president said. Nath even pointed out possible gaps for corruption in the decision. “There are earlier instances where OIL and ONGC officials join private sector companies to extract crude oil from the same fields they once declared exhausted during their tenure in the public sector units. So these angles are also to be looked into,” he said. “Whatever decision the Centre takes on this regard has to be in the best interests of Assam. The people of the state must get due share of their rights,” he said. Mahanta expressed his discomfort by stating that a common minimum program has to be formulated among the allying political parties of the BJP-led government in Assam on such contentious issues. “But that has not been worked out yet,” he said. When asked if this decision taken by the petroleum ministry may result in split in the government, Mahanata said, “It is too early to say that. We have demanded that Centre should reconsider it’s decision.” Pradhan in a visit to Guwahati on 24 June announced that Assam will earn Rs 4,000 crore as revenue from oil fields lying idle for years once they are handed over to private companies. They are among the 67 numbers of small oilfields across the country his ministry has decided to hand over to private companies. A civil society organisation named Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad Asom had called for a 12-hour long Assam Bandh on Tuesday in protest of this decision.