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Dibrugarh, Dec. 13: The Sivasagar unit of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) has called a 96-hour bandh of the ONGC from December 21 to protest against the company’s alleged move to privatise some of its operations in the state.

The AASU will take steps to block all ONGC operations across Sivasagar district such as transportation of crude from oil fields to the oil collecting stations, movement of men and machines to field and offices and dharnas in front of offices of the establishments in the district, among others.

The Sivasagar district unit of the AASU today issued a statement alleging that the ONGC had failed to clarify its stand on privatisation of some of its operations in Assam because of which the union had called for the bandh.

“We have been urging the company to clarify its stand on the issue which we feel would be totally detrimental to the welfare of Sivasagar district in particular and to Assam in general. But so far the company has not been able to come up with any convincing reply because of which we had to resort to agitation through democratic ways of protest,” the secretary of the Sivasagar unit of AASU, Manik Gogoi, said.

It had been largely speculated in various quarters that the ONGC is going to privatise its Assam Asset operations, which is located in various parts of Upper Assam.

The AASU alleged that despite repeated formal appeals and reminders, the ONGC had not properly replied to them on the critical issue.

The union had also staged a dharna in front of the company’s Sivasagar office on similar demands on December 4, but it failed to evoke any response from the company.

Deputy general manager (corporate communications and public relations), Dilip Kumar Das, said the allegations brought in by the AASU are not correct.

“We are trying to settle the issue and find an amicable solution so that the blockade does not take place,” he said.