Govt loan scheme to train tribals as commercial pilots fails to take off

However,in last two years,the corporation has not received a single application for the loan. On the other hand,out of the 15 beneficiaries,including a woman from Valsad district,only two are known to have secured jobs as pilots. Jaydeep Gohil of Dahod,who received training in 2006 and Shankar Sarnath of Valsad,a beneficiary of 2008-09,are working with two Delhi-based private firms.

GTDC contacts the beneficiaries every year and seeks their latest profile. However,only Gohil and Sarnath have responded to the communication from the corporation,officials say.

Admitting lacklustre response to the scheme,a deputy manager at GTDC said,“We are trying everything to publicise the scheme. But no denying the fact that it has failed to take off. Against the annual target of sanctioning 14 loans,we have managed only 15 in all these years.”

To avail of the scheme,an applicant should be Class XII pass. The loan is available at an annual interest rate of 4 per cent and is to be repaid in 200 equated monthly instalments (EMIs). However,he should also be able to furnish a surety worth amount of the loan and,this,according to a senior official,exactly has kept the scheme grounded.

So far,four youths each from Surat and Valsad districts,two each from Vyara,Navsari,and Dahod and one from Gandhinagar have taken the GTDC loan. The scheme has failed to evoke response from other major tribal districts like Sabarkantha,Panchmahals,Vadodara,Junagadh and Bharuch.

“Tribals in eastern and northern Gujarat as well as in Saurashtra area do not have that much property. Most of those who have got benefit of the scheme are from south Gujarat where the community is a little better off,” the official told The Indian Express,adding,not knowing good English was also a factor affecting job prospects of the tribal youths post training.

“We have been doing all we can to catch attention of youths. I have held meetings with officials in these districts and pointed out that there has been no applications from their districts. I have also written letters to MLAs and MPs requesting to encourage youths in their constituencies to go for the training,” another top functionary at GTDC said on the condition of anonymity.

However,in an attempt to revive the scheme,the state government recently raised the loan amount from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

“We had received requests from beneficiaries that Rs 15 lakh was not sufficient. We had sent a proposal in this regard to state government and it has been accepted,” the top official said.

According to the latest guidelines of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),among other requirements,one needs 200 hours of flying experience to get licence of a commercial pilot. At current fuel prices,one hour of flying costs a trainee between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000.

GTDC has tribal sub-plants in major tribal districts to implement its various schemes,including the loan for pilot training.