Truant pilots disappoint ministers

New Delhi: The only carrier Jet, which ferries VVIPs especially Cabinet ministers, is out of action. This is causing tremendous problems for VVIP movement out of Delhi.
The Jet has been grounded because pilots are complaining of poor pay. One has even reported sick. The home ministry is desperately looking for a solution.
For the past 10 days one of two pilots who have been trained to fly the aircraft has reported sick and the result – Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde couldn’t go to Imphal on Friday to inaugurate a power plant. It’s the first time that the BSF finds itself in such a tricky situation.
The two pilots who know how to fly the Brazilian Jet have both offered to quit saying their gross salary of Rs 39,000 is too little as compared to pilots of Indian and Air India whose pay packet is between Rs 4-5 lakh besides, the BSF pilots have a pilots civilian licence which even Air Force pilots don’t have but get a higher pay.
While in the past commercial pilots have reported sick demanding better pay scales, this is the first time that VIPs find themselves grounded.
16/12/06 Meetu Jain/CNN-IBN

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline