Vandana Gombar-Ayyagary: All that gas ... and no action!

MY WEEK

There is the downside of being over-zealous. I have had to get up early on a chutti since all my clamouring for a few minutes "anytime and anyplace" from RS Sharma""the just confirmed chairman of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) "" has led him to give me a "maybe on Sunday" commitment, but I have to call him in the morning. We talk a few times during the first half of the day as he tries to fit me into his schedule. It is finally called off since he does not want to be seen favouring one publication, or rather one person, over another. He has already been warned of "dire consequences" of such a move by the other women who are on the beat. He chooses not a create a situation and hints at a group meeting on Monday.

Monday
The motley group of energy writers gather in the conference room at ONGC's headquarters in the late afternoon. The mood is solemn as one of the company's supply vessels has sunk, claiming five lives. He declines to be photographed but he does share a broad vision for the Rs 57,000 crore company with us. There are issues and issues "" from gas pricing to gas production to the subsidies that the company has to bear "" and there are no easy answers.

Tuesday
It is another day of deliberation on gas pricing by the committee of secretaries, even though wise men have earlier decided that gas pricing is supposed to be market determined. We (the energy team) are inundated with arguments "" and papers "" for market-based pricing and against it. Should we do right by the market or right by the common man? And then the old Indian penchant for the middle path arises "" there is a call for pooled pricing which is neither one nor the other but a mix of the market and controlled prices.

Thursday
The country really needs a pricing policy on energy, and needs to stick to it instead of reopening the debate every other week. Crude oil that Indian refiners use is at an 11-month high of $73 per barrel which, as per a self-imposed discipline by the government, should have triggered a hike in your petrol and diesel bill. It is unlikely to happen since the government cares for you, dear common man and woman, and not the economists. But the nation is led by an economist? Or is it? Duh!

Friday
I hear some buzz about one government owned company, NTPC, being forced to place an order on another government company, BHEL, in the interest of indigenising technology. Since the companies are under different ministries, and since the parent ministers don't see eye to eye on most issues, we run into another maze of allegations and denials. We need to stick to the facts""but we are getting conflicting "facts." Typical in the life of a journalist!

ALSO...

Unable to get my credit card statements from HSBC "" "The world's local bank" "" I had put in the umpteenth request for a courier delivery, but to no avail. Then a helpful call-centre fella gave me a solution "" Call up each month and put in a request for a duplicate bill. This bank is really getting local!