DGH set to be revamped, get more staff

With exploration activity in India picking up, the Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons is being revamped. The reorganisation includes creation of a separate DGH cadre, a network of offices for better co-ordination.

In a proposal put up for the Cabinet's approval, the petroleum ministry has proposed a staff strength of 235 "" with half of them belonging to the DGH cadre. For the rest, the present practice of deputation from public sector oil units will continue.

At present, the DGH has 120 employees, of which 88 are on deputation and the balance, on contract.

Induction of fresh personnel will be followed by territorial restructuring, with five operating groups each for north, south, east, west and north-east regions being set up.

According to ministry estimates, the additional manpower will cost Rs 30 crore. But, with a separate cadre, the regulator will also save money spent on deputation allowance.

The upstream regulator is of the view that the present practice of deputation has resulted in acute shortage of staff, hindering its operations.

The greater role envisaged for DGH includes regulation of matters relating to drilling, abandonment of wells, methods of producing oil and prevention of oil wastage.

Also, with the scale of exploration activity set to expand considerably with launch of the sixth phase of National Exploration and Licensing Policy and the third phase of Coal-Bed Methane exploration, a greater role is envisaged for DGH, government sources said.