Infrastructure minister BC Janardhan Reddy on Friday assured the Assembly that the government would seek field-level reports and take corrective action against ONGC and GAIL if allegations of land subsidence and inadequate CSR spending in Amalapuram are proven.
MLAs Varaprasad and Giddi Satyanarayana raised concerns during question hour, citing drainage overflow into the sea and lack of relief measures for affected communities. Rajole MLA D Vara Prasad alleged that the companies’ operations were causing pollution and hardship, and that CSR funds were not being adequately deployed.
Responding to the concerns, minister Reddy said detailed reports on CSR utilisation would be sought and action initiated if violations are confirmed. He clarified that there is no provision to reserve jobs for locals in central public sector undertakings like ONGC and GAIL, which recruit on an all-India basis.
In P Gannavaram constituency, the GAIL unit at Tatipaka employs seven regular staff — six from Andhra Pradesh and one from Telangana — and 67 contract workers, all from Andhra Pradesh. At ONGC’s Tatipaka complex, 65 regular employees include 41 from the state, while 135 of 144 contract workers are locals. At ONGC’s Rajahmundry asset section, 1,600 of 1,800 contract workers are from Andhra Pradesh.
Reddy reiterated that while a significant number of locals are engaged on a contract basis, regular recruitment follows central norms with reservations only for SC, ST, OBC, and EBC categories.
