Sivasagar forum protests at ONGC Assam Asset, seeks jobs and flood assistance

NAZIRA, October 1, 2026 — The Sivasagar District Joint Struggle Forum of mass organisations staged a sit-in demonstration in front of the ONGC Assam Asset headquarters in Nazira on Wednesday, demanding employment opportunities for local unemployed youth, protection of the Assam Asset from privatisation and greater assistance for people affected by floods.

The protesters alleged that despite substantial reserves of oil and natural gas in the oilfields under ONGC's Assam Asset, production has declined due to the alleged failure to introduce appropriate modern technology and equipment.

The forum further alleged that ONGC, a Navratna public sector enterprise, was pursuing policies that could facilitate the privatisation of profitable oilfields, particularly the Geleki oilfield, which it described as one of the most profitable fields under the Assam Asset.

According to the organisations, Assam has benefited from substantial royalty revenues since ONGC discovered oil and gas reserves in the state in 1964, while thousands of people have also secured employment. They claimed that the number of permanent employees under ONGC's Assam Asset, which stood at around 11,502 in 1991, has now declined to below 2,000.

The protesters also opposed the proposed outsourcing of rigs through Management Contract arrangements, arguing that such measures could adversely affect employment opportunities for local youth and Assam's socio-economic interests.

The Joint Struggle Forum said it has been organising movements since 2001 demanding recruitment in ONGC's Assam Asset. It claimed that sustained movements involving thousands of youths, students, workers and farmers had earlier resulted in the recruitment of around 1,000 employees in ONGC's Assam Asset and 1,250 personnel in the Assam Battalion.

The organisations also highlighted the devastating floods that affected Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts this year. They alleged that more than 10 lakh people were affected and that homes, property, livestock and roads suffered extensive damage. The forum demanded substantial financial assistance from ONGC for flood victims and reconstruction of damaged roads.

Representatives of the All India Youth Federation, All India Students' Federation, AITUC, Kisan Sabha, Assam Mahila Sangha and other organisations participated in the protest. CPI Assam State Council Secretary Kanak Gogoi and other speakers addressed the gathering and criticised what they described as "anti-Assam" policies of ONGC.

At the conclusion of the programme, the organisations submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chairman of ONGC through the Executive Director of the Assam Asset.

The memorandum included demands to:

• stop any move to privatise the Geleki oilfield and other oilfields and rigs under ONGC's Assam Asset;

• fill the 9,000 vacant posts in ONGC's Assam Asset with local unemployed youth at the earliest;

• procure new and advanced in-house rigs and modern technology to increase production;

• strengthen the operational capacity of ONGC's Assam Asset; and

• provide ₹500 crore in financial assistance for flood-affected people in Sivasagar district and reconstruct roads damaged by the floods.

The organisations said they would continue their democratic movement until their demands relating to employment, industrial development, infrastructure and protection of Assam's economic interests are addressed.