Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Cong urges PM to take steps to control Baghjan fire and gas leak

By STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, June 11 - The Congress today called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate steps to control the fire and gas leakage at the Oil India Limited�s well at Baghjan in Tinsukia district.

A Congress delegation led by State unit president Ripun Bora met Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi at the Raj Bhawan here and submitted a memorandum for forwarding it to the Prime Minister in this regard.

�Due to negligence on the part of Oil India Ltd, the situation has gone from bad to worst (sic) causing breakout of devastating fire from the oil well on June 9... Two fire fighters from Oil India Ltd died in this incident... The people in the surrounding area are passing sleepless night (sic) with great tension... While there was non-stop leakage of natural gas for last 14 days, Oil India Ltd has miserably failed to control it. Moreover, they had not taken the matter seriously. Even the Ministry of Petroleum has also not taken is seriously,� stated the memorandum.

The Congress urged the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter and sought deputation of the Petroleum Minister with experts to control the devastating fire and leakage.

�If required experts from foreign countries may be called,� stated the principal opposition party.

It also called for holding a high-level inquiry into the entire incident and for action against officials found to be responsible, adequate compensation to the families of the victims who were killed in the incident and jobs to the next of the kin of the deceased, and compensation to the families whose land and property were damaged due to the gas leak and fire.

The delegation also submitted a second memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Governor, seeking steps to ensure that the natural environment of the Dehing Patkai rainforest and the Dibru Saikhowa National Park remains unaffected on account of any oil drilling or coal mining activities.

It stated that the recent decision of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to allow open cast coal mining at the Saleki Proposed Reserve Forests will have serious ramifications on the ecology and environment of the entire region.

In another memorandum, addressed to the Governor, the State Congress demanded removal of Debolal Gorlosa as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) for his involvement in the murder of two Congress workers � who were also sons of former minister and lifelong Congress member the late Gobinda Chandra Langthasa � in 2005.

The memorandum referred to the confession made in the court recently by a former militant leader David Kamprai alias Miput Rajiyung alias Action Dimasa by becoming an approver in Sessions Case No 18/2008, that it was Debolal Gorlosa who had murdered the two Congress workers.

Next Story