ISLAMABAD - National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-provincial Coordination Friday showed its grave annoyance over the ‘performance’ of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources (MP&NR) and directed it to reappoint the employees of OGDCL, which had been sacked some more than two decades ago.
This unanimous serious displeasure over the ‘performance’ of Petroleum Ministry by NA legislative panel has once in a blue moon forced the Advisor to Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Dr Asim Hussain to that extent that he, on the spot, gave directions to the concerned high-ups for resolving and paying proper heed to the issues and concerns of the members of committee.
The NA body also directed the MP&NR to reappoint or reinstate hundreds of sacked employees that were punished for one or other trivial reason or having a political affiliation. Around 356 employees of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) were sacked back in 1991. However, Advisor to the Premier taking notice of the committee member’s sensitive concerns has now asked the ministry (MP&NR) to furnish complete details about the termination of these former OGDCL employees.
Following the unanimous severe annoyance showed by NA Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources in its Wednesday’s meeting over the ‘vision and policy’ of the ministry regarding CNG stations closure and recent massive POL price hike, Friday was another day when the ‘performance’ bore bad name to the Advisor as he was seriously grilled by another NA body unanimously within a week duration. Similarly, the committee also showed its grave concern over not fulfilling the jobs on double-quota basis and not appointing any General Manager (GM) in OGDCL hailing from Balochistan, despite repeated recommendations of the committee.
Briefing to parliamentary committee on Friday Advisor Dr Asim Hussain assured that no stone would be left unturned to resolve the issues raised by this committee. He further informed the committee that the gas reserves in Sui (Balochistan) that were discovered in 1952 would witness an end by 2022 and because gas production from the gas fields of Sui was decreasing or depleting by 5 percent annually. Over the issue of royalty and gas surcharge, the advisor informed the meeting that 12.5 percent of gas royalty was being given to the province (Balochistan).
Moreover, during the course of this meeting, the committee also raised its apprehensions over the development funds given to the MPAs from Balochistan.
The committee also recommended that the Chief Minister (CM) of Balochistan and Chief Secretary of Balochistan to give a detail briefing to the committee in this very regard.
Managing Director OGDCL, Masood Siddiqui told the standing committee that a new and refined procedure of hiring the employees would be introduced right after the upcoming Eid under which human resource would be inducted in the organization only on merit in a bid to avoid the situation that had ruined Pakistan Steel Mills, and Pakistan Railways.  He further informed the committee that currently OGDCL was bearing the burden of more than 3000 ‘surplus’ employees.
Federal minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Dr Asim Hussain, Members of National Assembly including Sardar Umar Gorgage, Syed Nasir Ali Shah, Haji Roz-ud-Din, Surriya Asghar, Gul Muhammad Jakhrani, Dr Muhammad Ayub Sheikh, Qudsia Arshad, Dr Araish Kumar and Managing Director OGDCL, Masood Siddiqui attended the meeting.