HR and other issues hit airports’ privatisation bidding deadline: Srivastava
24 March 2015 12:26 AM GMT
RK Srivastava, chairman of the AAI, on Monday said, “There are several issues. There are HR-related issues as well. A concerted decision has to be taken (on such issues). Whatever are the concerns of the employees, they have to be addressed.”
He said the service conditions of the employees should not be “compromised with” and that the AAI was trying to fast track the privatisation process. “We have to formulate the Request for Proposal,” Srivastava said, adding, “We are ensuring that all timelines are met.”
The AAI, which had invited the Request for Qualification (RFQ) to hand over the management, operations and development of Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports last year, had last week extended the RFQ submission date from March 24 to May 26. However, at that time the authority did not specify the reason behind the extension.
The AAI employees’ union, however, are opposed to the privatisation of government-run airports on the ground that the move would lead to a further dip in AAI revenues, besides a massive retrenchment of manpower.
To facilitate trade/user community and to utilise the redundant passenger terminals where new terminal buildings have been commissioned, the AAI will create a Common User Domestic Cargo-cum-Courier Terminal (CUDCT) after carrying out some minor modifications since these facilities have city-side and air side access. Officials of the AAI met the stakeholders on Monday in this regard.
“Today, we held a meeting with stakeholders from across the spectrum to hold consultations regarding CUDCT. They offered their suggestions. Keeping that in mind, we have decided to constitute a task force and address their concerns. We have also set a timeline to address their concerns,” Srivastava said.
At present, the domestic cargo movement at these airports is being managed from separate warehouses allotted to individual airlines where multiple agencies operate, which is a potential security hazard. A common user facility for cargo and courier handling would address the issue.
He said the service conditions of the employees should not be “compromised with” and that the AAI was trying to fast track the privatisation process. “We have to formulate the Request for Proposal,” Srivastava said, adding, “We are ensuring that all timelines are met.”
The AAI, which had invited the Request for Qualification (RFQ) to hand over the management, operations and development of Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports last year, had last week extended the RFQ submission date from March 24 to May 26. However, at that time the authority did not specify the reason behind the extension.
The AAI employees’ union, however, are opposed to the privatisation of government-run airports on the ground that the move would lead to a further dip in AAI revenues, besides a massive retrenchment of manpower.
To facilitate trade/user community and to utilise the redundant passenger terminals where new terminal buildings have been commissioned, the AAI will create a Common User Domestic Cargo-cum-Courier Terminal (CUDCT) after carrying out some minor modifications since these facilities have city-side and air side access. Officials of the AAI met the stakeholders on Monday in this regard.
“Today, we held a meeting with stakeholders from across the spectrum to hold consultations regarding CUDCT. They offered their suggestions. Keeping that in mind, we have decided to constitute a task force and address their concerns. We have also set a timeline to address their concerns,” Srivastava said.
At present, the domestic cargo movement at these airports is being managed from separate warehouses allotted to individual airlines where multiple agencies operate, which is a potential security hazard. A common user facility for cargo and courier handling would address the issue.
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