TN Adi Dravidar dept takes Dalit youth to the skies

Chennai, Apr 18 (UNI) Gone are the days when the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar and Tribal welfare department distributed milch animals and iron boxes to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people to eke out a living.

After making Dalit girls fly as air hostesses, the department had now come out with a free pilot training programme for Dalit youths, a first of its kind in the country. The department also offered free training for them in visual communication, cinematography, retail trade and footwear manufacturing.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for her department in the Assembly yesterday, Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister A Tamilarasi announced that the department would provide free pilot training to ten Dalit boys at a cost of Rs one crore.

After providing free air hostess training and cabin crew training to 100 girls and 100 boys at a total cost of Rs two crore last year, it would be free pilot training for youths this year, she said.

Like last year, this year also, the Government would impart free air hostess and cabin crew training to 50 girls and 50 boys at a cost of Rs one crore, the Minister said.

Taking note of the employment potential in the growing retail trade segment and medical transcription field, the Government would provide training to 1,500 SC/ST people, Ms Tamilarasi said.

Similarly, 100 youths would be given maritime training through the National Maritime Academy and Tamil Nadu Maritime Academy at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.

Aimed at providing economic independence and raising the standard of living, the SC/ST candidates would also be provided training in various other spheres like fashion designing, knitwear designing, food processing, house keeping and sanitation.

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