On 20th September 2011, OGDC celebrated its 50th birthday with a large add in print media including the photograph of its 23 Managing Directors in 50 years and the profile of the present Chairman, CEO, MD and Boards of Directors. Those on the boards of the OGDC are bureaucrats and Senators with hardly any past experience in oil and gas field. Now I understand why the government owned enterprises are a burden on Pakistans economy. Rather than contributing to the national exchequer they are making huge losses. So long as right men are not selected on merit on the basis of their academic and professional education and experience there will be no possibility for the government departments to stand on their own feet financially. If an engineer is given the job to run a hospital instead of a medical doctor the hospital will be become a human death factory. The present Federal Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources is a professional doctor who was managing a hospital in the past. His qualification and background is not related to oil and gas industries, so how can one expect him to initiate reforms. It is common knowledge that he became a Minister because he was President Zardaris friend. Similarly, the Chairman of OGDC is Federal Secretary having only public administration experience. This favouritism and nepotism and lack of meritocracy in matters of governance are pushing the country towards economic disaster. Why after establishing oil and gas regulatory authorities the government still owns OGDC and other gas distribution companies? Why the OGDC is managed by bureaucrats? It should be independent of government influence and vested interests and lobbies. OGDC should be managed by professionals accountable to its shareholders and board of directors. Its Chief Executive should be selected by them and not by the President or Prime Minister. It is not their personal property but it is the state property. S.T. HUSSAIN, Lahore, September 28.