ASTO to sue ONGC management
ONGC’s Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (ASTO) is set to sue management over its modified recruitment and promotions policy.
This report learns ASTO will file a court case shortly against the recruitment and promotions policy announced on December 26 (2023), under which young officers complain about reduced personal and professional growth opportunities. "Compared to other PSUs where it takes 12 years to go from one officer level to another, we spend 13 years," complains an ASTO source.
"With this policy, it will get worse." On March 4 (2024), an ASTO Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting in Dehradun resolved to file a court case.
"CEC authorises Praveen Sonkar from Assam Asset, and Abhik Kumar Dutta and Nimai Debbarma from Agartala to file a writ against the December 26 (2023) management order management at Gauhati High Court," says the resolution. On March 13 (2024), Central Working Committee president Nishant Kumar sent another letter to management addressing concerns about reducing casual leave and increasing pressure on senior executives to take families to postings, even in remote stations.
"Chairman (Arun Singh) has been saying that a wife should leave her job and support her husband (if he works at ONGC)," claims one officer. ASTO is urging management to postpone the introduction of the new recruitment and promotions policy to 2025.
"We want the policy to be better and ensure growth for officers," says a source. In recent months, ASTO has faced increasing challenges retaining officers migrating to the competing ONGC Officers Association, which accuses ASTO of supporting management.
But many at ASTO hope the court case will restore its credibility as a collective that speaks up for officers. Others argue that as a registered union, the OOA has more bargaining power with management than ASTO.