SIVASAGAR, Sept 28 - Rajesh Konwar (25) with a ITI degree is one among several thousand youths who land up in Guwahati city every year for a job.
Konwar knocked many a door with the light of hope burning in his heart, but a job eluded him. As his reservoir of hope started to melt, he grabbed a low-paying vocation of helper in an electrical engineering firm against his wish of securing a job commensurate with his qualification.
Back home, his family could not make ends meet with his meagre income. For several years he tried his best to crack the ONGC recruitment exam. In 2013, his hard work paid off as a jubilant Konwar entered into the portals of ONGC Assam Asset, one of the largest onshore sssets of the company. He never knew that his life would be transformed in no time.
Joining the Government of India�s Maharatna PSU, ONGC empowered him to earn a decent living along with social respect in the society.
Further, he facilitated his sisters� higher studies in Bengaluru and Guwahati. He was hopeful that his sisters who are appearing for various competitive exams are going to excel in studies and secure respectable employment soon.
Like Konwar, there are several stories of change which are part of folklore in the operational areas of Assam Asset. ONGC has been operating in the North East for more than six decades in the midst of tough terrain and logistic challenges.
Drawing on the unstinted support of the people of Assam for the nation�s growth, ONGC has powered the nation with 72.5 million tons of oil and 17.87 BCM gas per annum.
The company has not only generated wide-ranging employment and business opportunities for the local people of Assam, it has also boosted the local economy and is gradually transforming Sivasagar district.
For example, a 2018 report of internationally reputed professional service firm named Pricewater House Coopers (PWC) stated that the per capita income of Sivasagar district was highest when compared to the other districts of Assam owing to the larger role played by ONGC.
The oil major since its inception has been recruiting staff belonging to the state only. Continuing its endeavour in this direction in the recent past, Assam Asset recruited 1,486 local unemployed youths.
Recently, a transparent online exam was conducted to recruit 308 junior-level staff for various trades. Around 1,200 skilled, unskilled, semi-skilled and highly skilled employees also found employment as secondary workforce in the company.
Currently, 700 students of Assam were given an opportunity under an apprenticeship programme to enhance their employability skill sets.
The impact of such employment has resulted in generation of secondary employment in the shape of businesses of small, medium and big capital. These businesses flourished with the growth of ONGC over a period of time, thereby leading to the employment of several thousand local people.
