Fanning the flames: Protesters set fire to Dhodak office

OGDC employees plan to relocate offices to Sindh, workers start strike.

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Employees at the Dhodak Plant in Taunsa Sharif held a strike for the second day to protest against the proposed relocation of their offices to Sindh.

Protester even set fire to one of the administrative offices of the plant until rescue workers put out the fire.

The protesters said that Dhodak plant officials had informed them that they were planning to relocate from Taunsa Sharif to Sindh.

“The employees said that a reservoir of oil and gas still existed in huge quantities in the area and shifting of Dhodak plant would pave the way for a private company to fill the gap. That doesn’t help those of us who will lose our jobs and have nothing to live on,” said protester Murad Shah.

According to the administration, the decision of shifting the Dhodak plant from Taunsa Sharif had created a lot of unrest among Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC) employees, who were working at the Dhodak oil and gas field.

CBA union joint secretary Tabassum Tauqir Qaisrani said that contrary to the claim of authorities who took the decision of shifting the plant, there were huge quantities of oil and gas reserves still in the area and local authorities wanted to strike a deal with private company. “This goes against public interests and we have protested against it. The employees will resist this shift,” he said.

The protesters rallied outside the former Dhodak offices for several hours and a group of protesters even set fire to the office. Rescue officials soon controlled the situation and dispersed the crowd.

Protesters at the site later closed the main gates of the establishment and held a large meeting in the premises of Dhodak oil and gas plant.

Protesters said that they were planning a sit in strike within the week.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2011.