The delays and inconvenience faced by him while seeing off some guests at the international airport had prompted the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission to hold a review meeting with DIAL, a move that triggered a public spat with Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel.
In a presentation that comprised nearly five dozen slides, GMR officials listed out various restrictions in carrying out some demolition and construction activities for which it could not be faulted, informed sources said.
While DIAL officials declined to talk about the presentation they made at the review meeting, Ahluwalia said, "One of the bottlenecks is number of points at which security clearance becomes necessary. This is not something that airport managers do.
"This is a function performed by the Bureau of Security that essentially involves government providing more personnel to manage these things. We are taking that up with relevant ministries that is what these reviews are for".
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DIAL has said there has been delay in getting approval from Customs and Immigration department for refurbishment plans. Besides, removal of dismantled materials have also posed significant challenges.
While noting that "Beijing airport benefited from tremendous government support," GMR officials are understood to have told the Planning Commission that DIAL is working on an aggressive commissioning schedule that compares favourably with global standards.
The schedule for IGI Airport-T3, having a capacity of 34 million passengers, is 37 months, as compared to 25 million capacity in 36 months at Beijing airport's new T3 terminal for Olympics.
It also cited capacity schedule of 25 million in 60 months at Heathrow T5 and 22-million capacity in 76 months at Changi Airport-Singapore (T3).
DIAL has said that despite the planned capacity addition, peak-hour constraints might continue till the T3 (Terminal 3) opens in 2010. Measures are being taken to increase the capacity, taking into account the projected traffic of 9.26 million passengers for 2009-10.
GMR would also require 1,400 additional Central Industrial Security Force personnel for manning the airport.
There would also be greater manpower requirement for the proposed increase in number of immigration counters from existing 56 to 100 by June 2008. DIAL was awarded the upgradation project in May 2006.