Reconsider open bidding of 12 small and marginal oilfields of Assam: Prafulla Kumar Mahanta

GUWAHATI: Former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has opposed the open bidding of 12 small and marginal oilfields of Assam. Mahanta-led Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is an ally of ruling BJP.

The former CM said the move to hand over small and marginal oil and gas fields is against the spirit of Assam accord, which was signed after a six-year long agitation.
Three organisatons called a 12-hour Upper Assam bandh on Tuesday in protest against the Union petroleum and natural gas ministry’s open bidding.

Effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan were burnt at different places in Upper Assam.

Leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia dashed off a letter to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, requesting him to intervene and hand over the oilfields to public sector oil companies.

AGP said it will discuss the issue in the party’s executive committee meeting on July 3.

Mahanta said, “This process of privatisation started during the tenure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The bidding process must be stopped and government must reconsider its decision. These fields must remain with public sector units.”

The AGP leader said that there is need for creation of coordination committee among the allies and such issues must be first discussed there. “BJP president, Amit Shah in run-up to assembly polls in Assam had accepted the idea of coordination committee,” he said

Sonowal said that the government will ensure that Assam's interest is protected.