58 employees of AIESL move Delhi HC challenging notice to vacate Air India Colony
Jul 15, 2022
New Delhi [India], July 15 ; A total of 58 employees of AI Engineering Service Limited (AIESL) have approached the Delhi High Court challenging the notices for the vacation of their residential accommodation in Air India Colony in Vasant Vihar in the national capital where they reside along with other employees.
The notices have been issued in October 2021 and May 2022 in the wake of the disinvestment of Air India.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Friday assured the court that a legal solution to the issue would be reached. Justice Yashwant Varma on Friday renotify the matter for July 21 after recording the submission of the Solicitor General.
The petitioners and other employees of AIESL on May 28, 2022, received notices from the employer directing them to vacate their accommodation latest by July 26, 2022.
The petition moved by Santosh Kumar Sahu and others has challenged the notices that were issued.
In October 2021 also, notices were issued to them. The notice stated that they are subject to coercion and pressure to sign an undertaking within days, and the failure to submit such an undertaking would result in eviction from their accommodation within a month.
The petition moved through advocate Zeeshan Hashmi has also challenged the directive of September 29, 2021, issued to the CMD of Air India Limited to ensure the prompt vacation of colonies in the wake of the disinvestment of Air India.
The petition has been against the Ministry of Civil Aviation, AIESL, AI Assets Holding Limited, Air India Limited and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The petition has stated that the petitioners are employees of AIESL. Post disinvestment Air India Limited no longer remains a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) whereas AIESL continues to be a PSU and petitioners have been allotted said residential accommodation till they retire or any other event as contemplated in Rule 22 of Housing Rules.
It is also stated that the impugned notices and directives are also being challenged on the ground that the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had agreed in 2017, which has been recorded in the Minutes of Meeting and Handing over/taking over the letter, that the land at Vasant Vihar, New Delhi has been handed over to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for development which will monetise the land and then provide flats at the same colony for the current allottees to reside there till they retire.
