Oil & Gas Sector Experts and observers are a puzzled lot today. They find that many PSE Organizations put up for specific purposes are losing the focus and grip on what they were assigned to do. SCOPE is unable to speak when it should for PSEs, especially when it comes to wages and job parity and rank equality with Bureaucrats. In fact, many welfare facilities have been withdrawn or capped but SCOPE has been a mute spectator. FIPI is silent on the progress of various MOUs signed during last few years. PESB is unable to make selections many positions which remain vacant till date.any longer rather have become levers to shackle them.
NewsIP brings to its readers certain sensational Industry inside information which only experts are privy to.These have far reaching consequences as Indian economy is heavily dependent on Oil & Gas. To begin with these organizations normally keep an eye on profitable PSEs and are information highways for the Babus. It is generally accepted that Babus are generalists who lack professional expertise.
Through these bodies those in position tend to formulate and convey opinions which often may not be in synch with technical and administrative realities. Readers will recall, during Last Pay Commission an active role was played by these organizations to ensure that Technocrats remain lowly paid and subservient in all respects to Bureaucrats. The Salary Structure in PSEs would hardly attract successful Professionals; many even choose to seek greener pastures in Private Enterprises. Even the much tom tomed PLI for PSE Executives are frowned upon by Babus while PLI they don’t want to implement on themselves since they would then have to demonstrate productivity and their contributions can be measured in real terms. Hence these convenient PSE Organizations were formed.
Though these are now unable to even perform the parochial functions they were designed for. Basically they are conservative and status quoists never allowing the PSEs to take wings. Recently when the Supreme Court had upheld demand for higher Family Pensions under EPF Act, considering the pitiful conditions of retired PSE employees these so-called Public Sector Forums did not come forth to support the welfare measure but were mute spectators on current non implementation.
There are numerous examples of PSU Professionals being insulted these very Public Sector Forums. During the selection process for the Chairman of a prestigious PSE, all candidates were initially rejected by PSE. Thereafter, a Search Committee went looking for a suitable candidate. After several twists and turns, allegedly,one eminent and senior candidate who was already Chairman in another PSE was specially invited, despite his not even having applied for the position. His name was selectively leaked to the mainstream media which went around proclaiming his name. In a curious twist of events, someone else was appointed to the post recently and this particular candidate was summarily rejected.
The irony is that the same candidate was seen presiding over a meeting for innovation in PSEs recently, prompting many industry experts to suggest in jest that the only innovation possible was of disbanding and discontinuing the organization.
In the case of another Federation of PSE, FIPI headed by a retired executive, which is tasked with organising Fairs and Celebrations for Oil & Gas sector recently had another extravaganza in a Five Star Facility in Delhi. Media personnel were called and much bonhomie prevailed.Many asked later if all that glittered was really gold. Most admitted in private, there is much more than meets the eye. NewsIP would remember its question on the achievements of last several MOUs signed is yet to get answered. These archaic bodies are mostly opinionated and well past their utility, say those in the know.
Anyways, the entire mess of so-called PSU representative organizations may well be heading towards the newly formed and dictionary recognised way – Enshittification.