The Assam Assembly has accused oil behemoth ONGC of not adhering to various norms in recruitment of 22 posts reserved for people with disabilities.
In its report submitted to the House yesterday, the Employment Review Committee of the Assam Assembly observed that the ONGC notification for recruitment to the 22 vacant posts did not follow a prescribed format in accordance with Rule 4 of the Employment Exchanges Act, 1959.
The panel has also asked the government to formulate regulations for 100 per cent reservation of locals in Grade-III and IV posts in PSU firms of the state.
“As per the Supreme Court verdict, it is mandatory to intimate the employment exchange, which then should sponsor the name of the candidates. The ONGC Assam Asset did not give any scope to the Employment Exchange to sponsor the candidates against vacancies,” it added.
The committee also pointed out that the ONGC claimed to have issued notifications to 10 local employment exchanges, asking them to inform eligible candidates with valid registration numbers about the job vacancies, but when asked, ONGC could not provide the details of the applicants.
The Assembly panel advised the government to formulate overall recruitment policy, in accordance with findings of Gujarat Resolution, to provide jobs to local youths in PSU firms such as ONGC, OIL, Indian Railways and Coal India.
“During the course of discussion, the committee observed that there is no clear cut government policy regarding recruitment of local people, including PwDs, in the Grade-III and IV posts of public sector undertakings in Assam.
“The committee recommends that the department concerned should formulate policy for cent per cent recruitment of local candidates in Grade-III and IV posts in all PSUs of the state,” the report said.
The investigation by the Assembly panel also found that not a single member representing the government or the Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship Development Department was part of the selection committee, even as the norms suggest that the notification should have been forwarded to the department first for wider publicity.
“The committee noted that that the ONGC Assam Asset had mentioned in their advertisement that the 22 vacant posts for PwDs are for Assam, but did not specify who can apply for the posts (and) whether it is restricted to the candidates of Assam only” the report said.
It asked the oil major to clearly mention that the Grade-III and IV PWD posts are reserved for the candidates of Assam while publishing the advertisements in future.
The review committee recommended that the existing 14 vacant posts for PwDs should be filled up through local employment exchanges and sought the creation of 30 new Grade-III and IV PWD posts for the local people of Assam.
“The committee recommends that the Recruitment Board/Selection Committee of all PSUs and all public enterprises should consist of at least one member representing the government of Assam/Directorate of Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship Development, Assam, in the line with Oil India Ltd, Duliajan, Assam,” the report said.
The panel also said that the ONGC should associate itself with the local ITIs or polytechnic institutes to provide apprenticeship to the students so that can apply for Grade-III and IV posts in future.
