The employees unions of IOC threatened to go on an indefinite strike if the government continued with its plans to disinvest in the company. However, they have ruled out seeking judicial intervention on the matter. Meanwhile Petroleum Minister Ram Naik met the union members on Tuesday and gave them a hearing. Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Naik said “yesterday the IOC employees unions met me and put forward their point of view. I listened to them and told them not to panic since the government would decide the future course of action over three months time. I assured them that their concern would be addressed at the right forum”, Naik said. 14 bids for eight CBM blocks; Reliance, ONGC, Tri-star in race NEW DELHI: The government has received 14 bids for eight blocks in the second round of the coal-bed methane policy. Companies including ONGC, Reliance and US-based Tri-star have bid for exploration in eight blocks. “Fourteen bids have been received by the government for exploration of CBM in eight blocks while the block in Andhra Pradesh was the only one that had no bidder till the last bidding day on Wednesday,” Petroleum Minister Ram Naik told reporters. The Indian companies which have bid are ONGC, Gail, Coal India Ltd, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Reliance Industries, Great Easter Energy Corp and Mudra Ispat. The only foreign company to participate in the bidding process was Tri-star India trading company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US-based Tri-star Petroleum Company. The evaluation of the bids would be over by January 15, and the Cabinet approval would be granted by February 15, 2004, Naik said. (ENS) Addressing a press conference, Indian Oil Officers Association president E. Haque said “we will take up agitation and call indefinite strike until the government mended its ways. We are trying to persuade the government to give up the ill-conceived idea of privatising IOC which has tremendous historic and strategic significance,” Haque said. Denying that the joint forum of Indian Oil Officers and Workmen was contemplating moving court on the matter, All India Petroleum Workmen Federation general secretary C. M. Singh said “we would prefer the people’s court as this government has scant regard for the judiciary as seen in the HPCL-BPCL case where it is working on circumventing the Supreme Court order.” Haque, who led the joint forum delegation to the Petroleum Minister said that Naik appeared favourably disposed towards the matter and assured to take the matter before the Cabinet.
