ONGC headquarters not to be shifted out of Dehradun

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 9

Putting to rest all speculations, Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat has assured the people of Uttarakhand that the headquarters of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited will not be shifted out of Dehradun.

The Chief Minister’s assurance came after reports of the ONGC applying for a shift of its Permanent Account Number (PAN) from Dehradun to Delhi came to the fore. The ONGC authorities had recently written to Chief Income Tax Commissioner Uttarakhand seeking shifting of its PAN from Derhradun to Delhi that hinted at the possible shift of headquarters. On Monday, former minister and senior Congress leader Hira Singh Bisht had also alleged that there were plans to shift ONGC headquarters from Dehradun to Delhi and said that the would be opposed tooth and nail.

Taking the issue with all seriousness, the Chief Minister had telephonic talks with Union Minister for Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan over the reports of shifting of the ONGC headquarters from Dehradun to Delhi.

Pradhan told the Chief Minister that there was no such move. The Union minister also informed that ONGC Permanent Account Number (PAN) will also not be shifted from Uttarakhand to Delhi. Pradhan said the ONGC had a very old and strong association with Uttarakhand and no such decision would be taken that had an adverse impact on Uttarakhand directly or indirectly.

Uttarakhand gets a major share of its revenue through taxes deposited by the ONGC. Shift of ONGC Permanent Account Number (PAN) from Dehradun to Delhi will also affect state’s revenue earnings. The oil giant deposits a staggering Rs 8000 crore as advance tax and other taxes to the Income Tax Department. The ONGC, besides being a major employment source, also contributes in strengthening the economy of Dehradun.

Senior Congress leader and Trade Union leader Hira Singh Bisht had threatened an agitation if systematic shifting of various sections of ONGC headquarters from Dehradun was not stopped. “The ONGC and Dehradun share a common history as first prime minister of the country Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid its foundation stone in Dehradun. Now it is being covertly shifted out of Dehradun, which will not tolerate”, Bisht observed.

No such move: Petroleum Minister

• The Chief Minister had telephonic talks with Union Minister for Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan over the reports of shifting of the ONGC headquarters from Dehradun to Delhi.
• Pradhan told the CM that there was no such move. 
• Pradhan said the ONGC had a very old and strong association with Uttarakhand and no such decision would be taken that will adversely impact Uttarakhand.
• Uttarakhand gets a major share of its revenue through taxes deposited by the ONGC. 
• The oil giant deposits a staggering nearly Rs 8,000 crore as advance tax and other taxes to the income tax department.