In its Report, the Committee has carried out a critical analysis of the events leading to the fire incident in Gujarat and has given a number of recommendations, covering the system of accounting of crude oil production, the detection of leakages, the safety and security measures, the monitoring of operations and the inter-agency coordination.

    Shri Naik expressed his happiness at the Committee submitting its Interim Report within the scheduled date of 31.01.2002 and hoped that the Committee would be able to give its final Report, covering all the ONGC’s installations, both Offshore and Onland, by 31.03.2002. Shri Naik stressed that the recommendations given in the Interim Report of the Committee would be examined on a priority basis and implemented on a war footing, keeping in view of the importance of crude oil and gas production for the country.

    It may be recollected that a Committee had been set up by Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas on 16.11.2001 to examine the security measures for oil and gas pipelines in ONGC and to make recommendations, covering various aspects of the subject matter. Besides, Maj. Gen. Jatar as Chairman, the Committee comprised Shri Ishwari Dutt, former Director (Tech.), ONGC and Shri H.S. Cheema, former Member (Onshore & NG), ONGC as Members and Shri S.C. Jetly, Executive Director, ONGC as Secretary. The Committee was requested to give an Interim Report on Gandhar incidents by 31.01.2002 and to submit its final Report by 31.03.2002.