1,300 centres set up to help avail Gatidhara scheme

The State Transport Department has set up 1,300 centres across the state to help unemployed youth avail the Gatidhara scheme.

The objective of the scheme is to generate self-employment in transport sector by providing financial assistance. A person applying for the assistance under the scheme will get maximum Rs 1 lakh to buy a vehicle.  

According to a senior official of the state transport department, in a bid to help more youths avail the scheme it was important to set up as many possible centres from where they would get necessary information and at the same time submit their application forms.

“There are around 1,300 such centres in showrooms of different authorised motor vehicle dealers in the state apart from the regional transport offices, where youths are submitting their applications. We have identified the dealers and a separate desk in every showroom has been set up. A set of people have been posted by them to cater to information about the scheme,” he said adding that people working as Gatidhara felicitators are being supervised by the transport department officials.

In a bid to apply for the scheme, unemployed youth aged between 20 to 45 years has to get enrolled with the employment exchange. People working in the 1,300 centres will not only help the applicants to apply for the Gatidhara Scheme, but also help to get them enrolled with the employment exchange.

The applicants will also get assistance of Gatidhara felicitators to get their road permit from the state transport authority (STA) or regional transport authority (RTA) under the scheme and registration number of their vehicles without facing any trouble.

After applicants get necessary clearances from STA or RTA and sanction letter for the financial assistance from West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (WBTIDCL), it is the task of the felicitators to pursue for faster disbursement of loan from any bank, financial institution or non-banking financial companies in favour of the applicants. The financier will help by providing the remaining amount to buy the vehicle.

The felicitators will also ensure that all the beneficiaries write “With financial support of Government of West Bengal under Gatidhara scheme” in blue colour on the rear of the vehicles.

The official said that the transport department has initiated taking applications from the last week of November.