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Our Bureau

New Delhi, Oct. 28 The GMR and GVK group, which are taking up the modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports, could find themselves in a spot.

This follows a Parliamentary committee asking the Government to review all the provisions in the Operation, Management and Development Agreement (OMDA) that has been signed with the promoters undertaking the modernisation of these two airports and make suitable provisions to accommodate all the Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees at their respective place of work.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, in its report on the ‘Functioning of private airports and related issues’ has pointed out that the Government can take the example of the Delhi Vidyut Board, where all employees of the organisation have been retained in BSES, Delhi, on the same terms of employment enjoyed by them prior to privatisation.

Implementing the provision could prove tricky, as most of the AAI workers at these two airports do not seem keen to continue with either the GMR or GVK group when the mandatory three-year period comes to an end next year. In the case of Delhi, less than 200 AAI employees of the more than 2,300 employees agreed to take up the incentive scheme of DIAL, the new joint venture company modernising the airport.

The Parliamentary Committee, which submitted its report last Thursday, notes with concern that some of the OMDA provisions appear to violate Clause 12 and 18 of the AAI Act 1994. While Clause 18 provides that the employees posted at the subject airport would continue to enjoy the same terms and conditions of employment, Clause 12 covers all the services of operations as well as non operations.

Calling on the Government to review the OMDA provision, the Committee has expressed the view that no arbitrary agreement, namely the OMDA or Concession Agreement, can supersede the provisions of Parliament Act.

More Stories on : Modernisation | Infrastructure | Airlines

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