Subir Raha, who was last week denied an extension as head of Oil and Natural Gas Corp on the basis of a critical performance appraisal by former petroleum secretary S C Tripathi, had hit out at the latter for passing "invalid, prejudiced and illegal" orders.
Raha had on May 23, what was his penultimate day in office, written to Petroleum Minister Murli Deora saying Tripathi during his one-and-half year tenure ending on December 31, 2005, "authorised several illegal and biased actions."
He said Tripathi pushed for appointment of two additional government directors, on top of three already present, on ONGC board in violation of "listing agreement/corporate governance" and insisted on nominating DGH, the sector regulator, on the board in "unquestionable conflict of interest."
Sources said Raha's letter alleged "intimidation" by Tripathi "to comply with these orders, especially the nomination of the DGH". It said Tripathi "threatened" to remove Raha as chairman and managing director of ONGC by "voting in the AGM on the strength of majority in equity."
Raha, who is reported to be suffering from obstructive jaundice and is to undergo surgery in a day-or-two, did not take calls for comments.
Contrary to popular perception, it was Tripathi who had refused to sign the performance MoU with ONGC, the letter said, adding the former secretary "propagated" the canard that resources were being diverted from company's core exploration and production to downstream petrochemical and power projects.
Tripathi, the letter said, persistently denigrated ONGC and especially its CMD in meetings and on file.
The letter stated that Tripathi gave orders to abandon "the Mangalore mega-project (LNG, petrochemicals and power plants in a SEZ) on the false argument that the project was taken up without the knowledge of the petroleum ministry."
Tripathi, Raha said, opposed the project to monetise gas idling in Tripura and propagated the "lie" that E&P was being neglected.
The former high profile head of ONGC said Tripathi initiated an "exercise to eliminate ONGC's exclusive technical engagement, financial interest and management control in ONGC Videsh Ltd (ONGC's overseas arm) by allocating OVL equity to non-E&P public sector companies, with added risks of breach of secrecy and loss of time."
Another exercise "to dilute OVL's competitive strength in acquisition of overseas oil and gas assets by asking ONGC to charge commercial interest on funds provided on loan to OVL" was initiated.
"The three joint secretaries concerned prepared the cases and carried out these decisions and/or actions authorised by the (then) secretary (Tripathi) with the consent of the (then) Petroleum Minister (Mani Shankar Aiyar). Several of these decisions/actions were based on wilful distortion of facts and circumstances," Raha wrote to Deora.
"In each and every case, these decisions were thwarted because the principled objections raised by CMD, ONGC were upheld by the government.
"Ergo, in the interest of fair play and justice, any assessment of ONGC and/or any appraisal of C&MD ONGC by them needs to be seen as prejudiced and personalised... you be the judge," he added.
