Calcutta, Nov 10 :    Calcutta, Nov 10:  The West Bengal government has asked Accor Asia Pacific, the company keen on buying the loss-laden Great Eastern Hotel, to retain more jobs so that the privatisation process is not stonewalled by employees. Rajiv Sharma, Accor's director (development), today met state tourism minister Manab Mukherjee and the four-member panel formed to carry forward the privatisation of the loss-making hotel. He was accompanied by Parasar Bose, a local architect, and Anil C. Kasturi, an advocate. He held talks with the members of the committee, which included R. Mohapatra, director, West Bengal Tourism Development, D. P. Patra, managing director of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, U. C. Sen, member secretary of Great Eastern Hotel, and the principal secretary of the tourism department. Tourism department sources said the committee has asked the Accor representative to take more employees on board when it acquires the hotel. 'This is one of the most critical points. The privatisation plan had fallen through in 1996 due to an agitation by employees. We have asked the French firm to look into it more thoughtfully,' sources said. Accor says it will spend Rs 15 crore on a separation package for the hotel's 500 employees. It said a screening committee will interview those who are below 45 years of age to see who among them can be retained. 'If they are found suitable, they will be absorbed by the new company. The screening panel will comprise representatives of the union, tourism and finance ministry and Accor Asia Pacific,' sources said. Of the 500 employees, only 170 are below 45 years of age and, therefore, eligible for the screening process. The Accor Asia Pacific representative will discuss the issue, including the state government's insistence on reducing layoffs, at the Bangkok head-office. 'A draft memorandum of understanding will then be worked out, submitted to the state government and unions for their approval,' sources said. No date has been fixed for the next meeting. 'Other prickly issues were also discussed. The committee wanted to know the manner in which Accor would pay its lease rentals. The government feels it should do so annually,' a senior official in the state tourism department said. Accor will invest Rs 100 crore to develop Great Eastern as a heritage five-star hotel. The government will hand over the lease of the hotel for a period of 30 years in the initial stages.