The Hindu Business Line : Aiyar disapproves of public spat

NEW DELHI: The Petroleum Minister, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, has expressed his displeasure at the way the issues raised by the Chairman and Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Mr Subir Raha, on the move to increase the Government nominees on the company's board have been thrown open for public debate.

The Minister felt that the Director General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), Mr V.K. Sibal, should have exercised restraint and sorted out his differences with Mr Raha.

When asked to respond to Mr Raha's threat to resign, Mr Aiyar said, "I have no intention of making a competent man resign."

While stating that he did receive a letter from Mr Raha, which had raised serious issues, the Minister said that before leaving for Norway, on August 29, he had referred the matter to the Law Ministry and the Department of Public Enterprises for their views. "We will take a responsible decision on the issue," the Minister said.

The whole controversy arose with the talk of the Government, the company's biggest shareholder, plans to seek approval for naming the DGH on the ONGC board at its annual general meeting on September 21.

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Aiyar disapproves of public spat