MPs target Deora for action on staff AMITTAY RANJAN NEW DELHI FEBRUARY 26 WHILE the Petroleum Ministry works on a law to bun strikes by oil sector emplovees, ) MPs associated with it have chided Petra- leum Minister Murli Deora for inflicting harsh punishment on officers who spearheaded the strike that choked the country’s retail supplies for two days in January, Cutting across party lines, most MPswho attended fast Tuesday's meeting of the min- istry'’s Parliamentary Consultative Commit- tee said ibwas well within the officers right to protest and resort to strike in ademocracy, anid the penalties inflicted an them went against the constitutional provisions, They alse criticised Deora for duality in the way punishments were handed out and requested him to reinstate the officers who were sucked, The managementof state-run oil and gas undertakings laid off 67 officers on sime charges but later reinstated all but five officers. OF the 62 reinstated, only six are under suspension, Only a handful of the 21 MPs whe at- tended the meeting spoke, but all were in agreement. Seeking leniency and magna- nimity from the minister, they said the family members of the laid-off officers were facing economic hardship, Murll Deora