New Delhi, Mar 20 (IANS): The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday informed that some employees of the erstwhile Air India Limited (AIL) are still in possession of accommodations at Air India colonies. In view of this, Air India has implemented a mechanism involving penal rent on unauthorised occupants in AI colonies.

The mechanism envisages imposition of penal rent and damage charges on the unauthorised occupants.

Some employees of the erstwhile AIL are still in possession of the accommodations at the AI colonies. In view of this, Air India has implemented the mechanism on the unauthorised occupants of the AI colonies, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Monday.

During the process of strategic disinvestment of AIL, it was decided that AI employees may continue to stay at the residential colonies of the company post divestment for a period of six months or till the property is monetised, whichever is earlier. Appropriate binding legal and other arrangements including financial disincentives should be formulated to enable prompt vacation of the properties by the employees, the ministry said.

In view of the aforesaid and as part of the disinvestment process, this ministry issued the mechanism for timely vacation of the accommodation at AI colonies on September 29, 2021, which was addressed to Air India.

As per the mechanism, all occupants of AI colonies were required to provide an undertaking that they shall vacate and hand over the peaceful possession of the accommodation at AI colonies within a period of six months post disinvestment, i.e., by July 27, 2022.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) constituted the Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM) to drive the strategic disinvestment process of AIL.