The junior engineers of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) are going on a three-day strike from June 30 to July 2 to press for their demands, primarily upgradation of engineer level posts. As a last ditch effort to persuade MSEB's Subordinate Engineers Association to call off the strike, the company chairman Ashok Basak, in a letter to the association, said that the board has considered the demands of the association within its' framework and regulations.

He has urged them to put off the strike call since it would hamper the drive carried out by the SEB to recover dues from the defaulting customers.

N-E oil staff perceive MNC threat

North-Eastern Region Oil Workers Coordination Committee (NEROWCC) has expressed serious concern over the handing over of `promising' oil fields in the north east to various multinational and private companies on the basis of production sharing contract. The government had also extended numerous favourableterms and conditions and tax relief to contractors where huge amount of money was spent by ONGC and Oil India Limited (OIL) for development activities for exploration. Speaking to mediapersons, president A M Barman and general secretary Biren Kalita also said that first phase production of oil would be treated as cost production oil from where a contractor would recover his entire cost and investment if made fully and acquire the right to sell the products at oil fields itself at the international market rate to recover his cost.

Phdcci constitutes specialists consortium for core projects

Consortiums of those specialising in transport network projects, township builders, energy producers and concerned state governments should be constituted for implementing infrastructure projects, the Phd Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Phdcci) has said. In a discussion paper, it said these four groups can effectively create a mega-project package which would be financially viable and supportable.