The GMR versus Maldives government saga threatens to blow up into a major fracas. The Waheed government has given GMR 30 days to wind up its $500 million operations for the upgradation, modernization and management of the airport in the capital, Male.

The official reason given for the cancellation of the contract was the airport development charge of $25 charged by GMR, which was not authorized by the parliament.

GMR meanwhile says it is going nowhere and will not leave before its contract of 25 years is not complete. "Twenty-three years are still left," said Mr. Arun Bhagat, a senior GMR official. Meanwhile, according to a source some GMR employees of Indian origin received threatening text messages in Maldives.

There are even reports that the Waheed government may cancel visas of Indians working for GMR in Male, as a pressure tactic to make them shut shop by mid-December.