The petroleum ministry has set up a three-member committee under the chairmanship of former petroleum secretary T S Vijayaraghavan to look into the safety and security related aspects of offshore operations of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
The committee has been set up in pursuance of a suo moto statement made in Parliament on August 13 by petroleum minister Ram Naik in the aftermath of the helicopter crash in Bombay High on August 11.
The other members of the committee are former chairman and managing director of Oil India Limited S C N Jatar and former director of Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, Pritam Singh.
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The terms of reference for the committee include safety and security of lives in offshore operations, especially air logistics.
It will also look into maintenance, repairs and replacement of offshore installations, related infrastructures and pipelines.
The committee will probe into the hiring of helicopters --- especially Mi-172 helicopters and the circumstances under which the ill-fated helicopter was hired.
Adequacy of efforts made by ONGC in ensuring safety and security of personnel engaged in offshore operations will also be looked into.
The committee has been asked to submit its report within three months. It has been allowed to consult experts on technical issues, if it so desires.
Naik has said that an inspection mechanism involving a third party inspection for helicopters will be put in place immediately.
This will be done in consultation with the director general of civil aviation, airforce and navy inspection machinery.