Justice Dalveer Bhandari, hearing a suit filed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) against the ATC, issued the direction after AAI counsel V P Singh stated that the charter of demands presented by the guild to the Government was highly inflated on which no negotiations could be held.

The court, while giving the ATC Guild two weeks' time to file its affidavit, said till April nine both the parties should observe the February 19 direction issued by the court.

The court on February 19 had directed the AAI not to take any further action against the traffic controllers while asking them to end their agitation forthwith.

Guild counsel Harish Salve said the traffic controllers were asking for a salary which is in a proportionate ratio of the pilot's pay.

Singh said the ATC Guildhad given a `huge' charter of demands to the government without going into the ground realities and the capacity of the AAI to mobilise resources to meet the same. The salary of ATCs was substantially hiked in November 1997, he said.

The ATC Guild is demanding pay hike in a proportionate ratio to that of pilots, introduction of duty allowance and enhancement of rating allowance.