The Assam Congress on Tuesday asked Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to appeal to the Centre to reconsider its decision to hand over marginal and small oilfields to private firms who may “exploit people and the region for their own interest”.
“The Congress Legislature Party, on behalf of the people of Assam, demands that the State government must ask the Central government to reconsider the Centre’s controversial decision to hand over 12 State oilfields to private companies,” Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Debabrata Saikia said in a letter to the Chief Minister.
“The decision of the Centre to hand over oilfields for privatisation has raised the question whether it has been done to benefit some private industrialists who are on good terms with the government,” he alleged.
GAIL, IOCL, HPCL, who are new entrants in exploration business, may form new joint venture companies with State-level PSUs like Assam Gas Company, Assam Hydro Carbon Limited etc so that people can be benefited, the letter said. -- PTI
