The Hindu Business Line : GMR’s disaster area

The time has come, it would seem, for another scolding to be given to GMR by Montek Singh Ahluwalia. The last time he had done so, because he was appalled by conditions at Delhi airport, GMR had sprung to attention. Since then, it seems to have reverted to its customary sloth.

Consider: The new runway is six or seven km from the terminal, so it takes the plane 15 minutes after landing to reach the parking bay. The airlines then chip in with their cost-cutting measures, so the ladder takes another 10 minutes to get to the plane. The buses pose the next gauntlet. There are too few of them, so passengers stand on the tarmac as if it is a city bus-stop. This can take 10 minutes.

Then comes a bigger challenge: Retrieving your bags. That can take between 25 minutes, if you are lucky, and 45, if not. There is too little space, so you are fortunate if some trolley hasn’t scraped the skin off your heel. And, then, the chaos outside as no one quite knows where to get a taxi or wait for his or her personal car.

Nor is this all. The airlines having refused to collect the airport tax, departing passengers will have to queue to pay up. Then they queue up to enter the airport. Then they queue up to check in. After which they queue up at security. And then to enter the bus.

And for using this paradise, Praful Patel wants to charge just Rs 200 per passenger. Aren’t you undercharging, Mr Minister? How about Rs 500, or even Rs 1,000? We will pay whatever you want us to, but just tell us what we are paying for?

Grants, JNU-style

The faculty of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was very pleased when, about nine months ago, members were told that they would all be given grants of Rs 3 lakh over five years. The communication did not specify for what the money was meant.

Then, a month later, came another letter: you can’t buy hardware such as computers, printers, cartridges, pen drives, and so on. Right, said the faculty, we will buy books and use it for travel within the country for seminars, lectures, etc.

A few weeks ago, a third note came. Sorry, profs, no travel only books and journals. OK, said the faculty. Now comes another missive: Books and journals are fine but you will have to seek our permission first.

So now clerks will decide what the profs can buy. Well done, Mr VC.

OUR DELHI BUREAU

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