The Assam Police have put Oil India Limited on “high alert” after receiving intelligence information about a potential attack on the public sector undertaking company, East Mojo reported on Thursday.
There is also a possibility of company officials in Upper Assam being kidnapped by insurgent groups, Oil India Limited spokesperson Tridiv Hazarika told East Mojo. The company’s vital installations might come under attack from insurgent groups, he added.
An advisory was issued to the company after the Assam Police noted a surge in recruitment by the United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent), commonly known as ULFA(I). It was banned by the Indian government in 1990.
“During the monsoon, many places where the oil rigs are located become inaccessible,” a senior Assam Police official told PTI. “So, we alert the companies about the security aspect. This is a periodic and routine thing.”
Oil India Limited convened an emergency meeting on May 17 to review the situation, according to East Mojo. In the meeting, all the employees have been directed to follow the standard operating procedures. Their movements, both personal and official, during the evening and night hours are restricted
“Any urgent movement during the said hours have to be informed to the security department,” the minutes of the meeting said, according to East Mojo.
“Steps were taken in response to the advice of the Assam police on the movement of OIL personnel and the company operations,” Hazarika told PTI. “Employees have been advised to be cautious regarding their movements for official and personal purposes.”
The development came after the company’s computer systems were hacked in its headquarters in the Dibrugarh district of Assam on April 10.
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