By TC News Desk
Agartala, 30th August 2024: In a passionate plea to the top brass of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the General Secretary of the ONGC Workers Union, Tusar Datta Majumder has called for urgent assistance for the flood-stricken state of Tripura. In a letter addressed to the Chairman and CEO of ONGC at the PDDU Bhavan headquarters, Majumder underscored the dire situation in Tripura, where nearly half the population has been impacted by the unprecedented flooding.
“Tripura has been grappling with a catastrophic flood since August 19th,” Majumder wrote in his letter, emphasizing the severity of the disaster. “Out of the state’s 42 lakh population, 17 lakhs are directly affected, and tragically, 31 lives have already been lost to the flood and heavy rains.”
The two-page letter detailed the extensive damage wrought by the floods, with large swaths of the state still waterlogged and inaccessible. “Most of our ONGC producing fields, particularly the well areas, have been submerged due to the heavy rainfall,” Majumder stated, highlighting the impact on both the corporation’s operations and the broader community. He noted that the devastation extended to essential infrastructure, with village and city roads severely damaged, and even national highways suffering cracks and fissures. The agricultural sector has been hit hard, with paddy fields, crop plantations, and fish ponds all submerged, leading to significant losses in livelihoods. The situation, Majumder warned, is exacerbated by frequent landslides that have claimed additional lives.
Despite ONGC’s status as the leading Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) in the country, Majumder lamented the corporation’s lack of support for the flood victims so far. “We have learned that processes are underway for food packet distribution and medical camps, but ONGC has yet to extend any substantial aid to the distressed people of Tripura,” he stated. The ONGC Workers Union, Majumder explained, has been doing what it can, distributing essential food grains and other commodities from their limited funds. However, he described these efforts as “meager” in comparison to the scale of the disaster.
In his appeal, Majumder urged ONGC to donate Rs. 20 Crores to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, citing similar contributions made to other states in the past. He also called for the provision of clothing, bedding, and extensive medical camps across the state, particularly in the areas surrounding ONGC’s wells and adjacent villages. “At present, it is understood that any medical camp or likely CSR project must be done through other agencies as per the CSR guidelines,” Majumder acknowledged, but he criticized this policy for creating obstacles in ONGC’s ability to directly assist the community. “These agencies have their own interests, and they promote their own names, with ONGC’s name becoming secondary. This has led to operational difficulties for ONGC,” he explained.
Majumder concluded with a heartfelt appeal for immediate action, expressing hope that ONGC’s leadership would recognize the urgency of providing financial aid and medical assistance to the people of Tripura. “The state is facing a severe dearth of funds and flood relief operations in the wake of this devastating flood, which is the deadliest natural disaster in Tripura’s history,” he wrote, stressing the need for ONGC to act swiftly and decisively in this critical time.’
