WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 29: Government to appoint permanent OGDCL managing director soon: Dr Asim

ISLAMABAD: The government would appoint permanent Managing Director (MD) for Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) within a week. This was stated by Dr Asim Hussain, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Petroleum and Natural Resources, while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources here on Tuesday.
The committee, headed by PML-Q's Sardar Talib Hussain Nakai, was looking into allegations of corruption and irregularities in OGDCL, Pakistan's largest oil and gas producer. Bisharat Mirza Acting Managing Director OGDCL, while briefing the committee said that the OGDCL has sent all the education documents of the workers to Higher Education Commission (HEC) and so far degrees of 1,000 officials are verified of which documents of four junior officials found fake.
During the last meeting held on February 1, OGDCL management refused to share the inquiry reports of the massive irregularities in the company, saying that the reports were confidential and could not be shared with members of the parliamentary committee. Nakai informed the committee members that Naeem Malik, Additional Secretary Petroleum has sought unconditional apology from the committee members over the happenings of last meeting. Birjees Tahir, a member standing committee said that the government, during the last six months, issued 20 licences for CNG stations on the directives of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, while another 71 licences for setting up new CNG stations are under process.
The meeting was informed that since February 2010, as many as 63 persons were holding additional charges of different key posts in the company. The parliamentary panel directed the petroleum ministry to appoint permanent staff against the positions with relevant qualifications.
Dr Asim informed the meeting that his ministry has given the new Human Resource policy to the management of the OGDCL and in future all the appointments would be made in accordance with the new Human Resources policy. He said that in future, no official would be promoted in the company until he/she passes a certain test. He said that he himself was against giving additional charges to any official, but due to non-availability of qualified staff, the company has given additional charges to 63 officials in different departments. The Special Assistant assured the committee that by the end of April there will be no officials with additional/acting charges.
The committee was further informed that in 2004, government allocated 38 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) quotas on temporary basis and since then, LPG sector is operating on temporary quotas. The parliamentary panel took up the issue of alleged irregularities in Oil and Gas Development Company, amounting to Rs 202.16 million along with other issues.
The panel discussed OGDCL's inquiry report on unnecessary purchase of chemical worth Rs 55.130 million (US $1.219 million) and loss of Rs 5.630 million on account of its sale below cost price. But acting MD told the panel that chemical was not sold below the market prices, instead OGDCL sold it at higher prices and earned a profit.
The chairman committee in consultation with other members constituted two sub-committees to further investigate the issues of irregularities in OGDCL. Nakaii said the OGDCL management claimed that the information sought was confidential and internal inquiry reports on seven audit paras for three fiscal years of 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2007-08 could not be distributed among the members.