At last - ONGC releases massive transfer list
After a long delay, ONGC released an unprecedented number of transfer orders on April 15 (2024).
But it still hasn't addressed longstanding complaints about some officers receiving better postings than others. "As many as 1800 transfers have been released, I hear," reports an ONGC source.
"This is the highest number of transfers ever; usually, it is about 1000 or 1100 transfers." There are over 280 transfers in the drilling and cementing departments, 220 in geology and geophysics, and 180 in mechanical engineering.
Electrical, electronics and instrumentation have seen about 50 transfers each, while materials management has seen 35. "Many more are to come in the middle level alone," says a source.
This year's transfers come amid anxiety among officers because of a new job rotation policy announced in 2023. ONGC's corporate policy section under the employee relations department sent out a consolidated list of fresh rules on April 10 (2024), many connected to how much time officers must spend in the northeast.
ONGC has reiterated that anyone hoping for promotion to CGM must have served three years offshore and that graduate trainees will not be posted for cushy assignments in Delhi unless they have a special exemption. However, some top managers oppose this, arguing that they lose out on having young workers in the corporate office.
Some in the finance department also worry about understaffing against a backdrop of billing and payment centralisation. Each of the following is allowed to have one young executive of E3 to E4 level serving: the chairman's office, the OVL managing director's officer, and ONGC and OVL directors.
Meanwhile, E1 to E4 executives will be considered for foreign OVL postings. Once transferred out to work centres, assistants to directors cannot secure similar assistant-type positions with asset or basin managers under the new rules.
However, some still complain of favouritism, saying the rules apply to some but not to those with networking skills.