The ATCs, who are currently agitating for better pay and working conditions, had suspended their ``go slow'' agitation on February 20 following a court directive on a petition by the Airports' Authority of India (AAI).

Justice Dalveer Bhandari issued the direction today after AAI counsel V.P. Singh stated that the charter of demands presented by the guild to the government was highly inflated and that no negotiations could be based on this. The ATCs' Guild is demanding, among other things, a pay hike proportionate to what pilots are getting, a duty allowance and an enhanced rating allowance. While giving the guild two weeks to file its affidavit, the court said that the two parties should comply with the court's direction of February 19. The case till come up again on April 9.

During the hearings, AAI counsel Singh said the ATCs' Guild had submitted ``a huge charter of demands'' to the government without considering the ground realities or the AAI's capacity to raise funds to meet these demands. Moreover, the salaries of the ATCs had been substantially hiked in November 1997, he added.