Three-member committee to examine report on merger of Air India and Indian Airlines

New Delhi, Feb 15 (ANI): Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has formed a three-member committee to examine the recommendations of Justice Dharmadhikari Committee on various HR issues after the merger of the two national carriers Air India and Indian Airlines and give its report by the first week of March 2012.

The committee has also been asked to give the schedule of implementation of the recommendations of Justice Dharmadhikari Committee.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India to address various industrial relations (IR) issues submitted its report to the Minister of Civil Aviation on January 31, 2012.

The committee now formed by the Minister to examine Dharmadhikari Committee report comprises Prashant Sukul, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, A. K.Sinha, Joint Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises and R.P.Singh, Director (HR), IFFCO as an outside expert.

The Group of Ministers' (GOM) meeting held on February 7 has also desired that Justice Dharmadhikari committee recommendations may be examined by the first week of March 2012.

This committee will look into various recommendations in this report of Justice Dharmadhikari Committee and give its comments in terms of implementability of those recommendations, keeping in mind the employee's interests, the functional viability of the Company, the financial implications and also various other practical aspects of implementation.

The committee will also give an implementation schedule indicating the priority of implementation of various recommendations.

The Justice Dharmadhikari Committee was formed on May 11, 2011.

The committee has been asked to examine the principles of integration across various cadres and determination of level and seniority, to examine the principles of pay/wage rationalisation and restructuring between all the employees of erstwhile airline, to examine and suggest harmonised working of various categories of employees of erstwhile airlines depending upon the requirements, to examine the above three in the light of cost neutrality principle, to examine the principles governing the structures of the pensionery schemes, death cum retirement gratuities and other terminal benefits having financial implication and to examine and make recommendations with respect to the general principle parameters of the different productivity linked incentive schemes and bring them in line with airline practices.

The recommendations of Justice Dharmadhikari Committee report will come into force after the three-member committee formed by the Civil Aviation Minister submits its report in the first week of March 2012. (ANI)