OVL attempts to introduce its own HR policy
OVL managing director Rajarshi Gupta wants to assert the company's independence from parent ONGC by having its own recruitment, promotions and transfers policy.
On November 8 (2023), OVL invited EoIs from Delhi-based consultants who can help develop such a policy. Offers must be sent in by November 30 (2023), but before that, interested consultants can attend an EoI conference scheduled in Delhi on November 20 (2023).
An industry source welcomes Gupta's move but doubts he can succeed considering the grip ONGC's human resources team has on OVL. About 270 employees work at OVL, most seconded from ONGC, barring six or seven direct recruits.
"OVL recruitment, promotions and transfers are controlled by ONGC, unlike MRPL and HPCL (also ONGC subsidiaries), which have independent HR policies," we hear. OVL has two types of staff on secondment from ONGC.
Some want to stay in Delhi or go abroad to OVL's overseas locations. A source says these people use political and other connections to work at OVL.
Other ONGC staff are "dumped" at OVL because their bosses don't want them. "For many years, OVL has had a problem with not receiving good quality people from ONGC, which has a lot of overqualified, non-productive staff in service groups," we hear.
OVL was carved out of ONGC, unlike MRPL and HPCL, where ONGC bought a majority stake. But OVL's board is separate from the parent company and has the right to have its own recruitment, transfers and promotions policy.
After OVL was set up in 1965, its MD initially had the final say in choosing staff seconded by ONGC. "But, over the years, as the MDs became less assertive, the HR department at ONGC took direct control of transfers," we hear.
"Now there's no consultation; HR directly publishes orders transferring ONGC employees to and from OVL; if an ONGC employee in OVL is found too independent, they can be transferred to some remote location like Assam."