Gatidhara scheme brings cheers to auto industry in Bengal

At a time when demonetisation of high value notes has crippled country’s economy, handing over of cheques worth Rs 1 lakh each to 1,100 unemployed youth has brought a new lease of life to them.

The cheques were handed over to them under the Gatidhara Project of the Transport department. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and principal secretary transport department Alapan Bandopadhyay were present at the function which was held on Friday at Allen Park. 

Banerjee has expressed satisfaction over the success of the project. She said earlier that 5,500 unemployed youth were given money under the project. She handed over 25 cheques to the unemployed youth.

Bandopadhyay said that the unemployed youth would be able to become self reliant. The car distributors were happy as vehicles had been sold in a bulk before Christmas.

He said unemployed youth from different economic strata of society had been benefited by Gatidhara project. The state government had also earned substantially from the tax on vehicles. A youth who had recently lost his job due to demonetisation was happy to become the owner of a car.

The Transport department will introduce another 5,500 vehicles under Gatidhara scheme immediately to give stimulus business in transport sector which has experienced a slump due to demonetisation. In the past five years, 7.5 lakh job opportunities had been created in transport sector.

In January 15 this year, Mamata Banerjee handed over the cheques worth Rs 1 lakh to 1,000 beneficiaries under the Gatidhara project. Subsequently, in the next three months, another 5000 unemployed youth were brought under the scheme’s umbrella.

The state government opened centres in the showrooms of different authorised automobile dealers so that unemployed youth aged between 22 to 45 years could have information about the scheme. The scheme, which is one of Chief Minister’s dream project has become a great success over the years.