MIAL serves notice to Air India, asks to vacate some properties
To protest against the likely eviction, employees held a morcha on Sunday and found support in the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). At present, 950 families are staying on the premises.
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Air India's document on Tuesday said pilots' flying allowance, special pay and wide body allowance were cut by 35 per cent, 40 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, after the onset of the pandemic. (Representational image)Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), controlled by the Adani Group, has issued a notice to Air India, asking it to vacate four official quarters and some other properties.
The notice was issued on March 11, a few days after Air India was handed over to the Tata Group. According to the notice, MIAL has given 45 days to vacate. The notice also asks Air India to review its utilisation of airport land, enter into agreements on an arms’ length basis with its former ground handling and engineering arms, and surrender the balance land to MIAL. An Adani Airports spokesperson did not offer any comment. An Air India spokesperson declined to comment as the matter was sub-judice.
The employees held a protest on April 17, with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) extending support.
At present, there are 950 families staying there. George Abraham, a former corporator representing the Air India employees said, “In October, Air India had issued notices to all employees staying in the colony that they will vacate the colony in six months, failing which they will be fined Rs 15 lakh and double the market rate as penal rent … Former MLC Vidya Chavan was sent by Supriya Sule (Lok Sabha MP) and MP Gajanan Kirtikar also came.”
The colonies are located at Kalina, near Santa Cruz in Mumbai. About 24,008 sq metres had been earlier surrendered by Air India to MIAL while the lease for 27,609 sq metres expired, which has not been renewed yet. The total land used by Air India is 7.4 lakh sq metres. The colonies are spread over 2,15,761 sq metres. While the land for the colonies and few other areas need to be surrendered, some other lands require lease renewal.
Kirtikar, who heads the Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti Mahasangh, said: “Many matters related to employees remained unsolved during sale of Air India. This land belongs to the Airports Authority of India and was given on lease to Air India. Air India has told everyone to vacate the quarters soon and this is a breach of trust. Nearly 5,000 people stay here and they will have to migrate … I have told Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal that we will oppose the shifting … We will take a big morcha and have a discussion with MIAL.’’
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