Dharmadhikari committee report on Air India likely by 31 January

New Delhi: The Dharmadhikari committee report, due to recommend staff integration measures and resolution of key HR issues, like pay parity, in merged entity Air India, is expected to be submitted by 31 January 2012.

The Dharmadhikari committee was formed in April this year to recommend measures to bring parity in pay and other service conditions amongst the staff of the erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines by November.

Earlier, Air India operated on foreign sectors while Indian Airlines operated on domestic routes.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha on the delay in resolving HR issues, civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi said, ''Some part of the delay in harmonising is due to the critical financial condition being faced by the company as also contentious issues like level-mapping, compensation harmonisation, etc, for all employees.''

In reply to another question, Ravi informed the upper house or the Rajya Sabha, that the airline had taken a string of measures to cut costs which includes cutting down passenger amenities.

''In order to save cost, the menu was rationalised in all classes, and sweets and juices were discontinued from economy class and also similar discontinuance of other beverages from the higher classes,'' the minister said.

The airline has slashed passenger amenities expenditure to nearly Rs460 crore in 2010-11, from Rs593 crore in 2007-08.

Ravi said the airline has taken several measures to enhance revenue including overhaul of the current baggage policy and efforts to tap government traffic, apart from undertaking route rationalisation to drop loss-making routes.