Ranchi, Sept. 22: The erstwhile Madhu Koda government purchased three Zlin aircraft from a Czech Republic-based company in August 2007 for training aspiring pilots and ferrying non-VIPs.

But a year on, they are lying unused.

Reason: failure of the state civil aviation department to recruit pilots and the plan to set up pilot training centres on public private partnership fizzling out.

The four-seater planes were purchased from Moravan Aviation spending around Rs 3 crore.

“But the three Zlin aircraft and a power (motor) glider are lying defunct in the state hangar.

The aircraft were purchased in August last year but have never been used. Though the power glider was used on a few occasions, it was never employed for training or communication purposes,” said Animesh Mukherjee, a senior pilot with the state civil aviation department.

Mukherjee, who doubles up as the spokesperson on behalf of the civil aviation department, conceded that purchasing Zlin aircraft and power gliders proved to be a futile exercise.

The four-seater aeroplanes were bought in haste anticipating that a few pilot training institutions would come up in Jharkhand under public private partnership.

Tenders were also invited from interested parties to set up such institutes.

“But none of the proposals fulfilled the minimum required criteria. The applicants, in fact, did not have any infrastructure and expertise for providing training to youths. That’s why everything went awry,” said Sudhir Prasad, a senior IAS officer and principal secretary in the state civil aviation department.

Prasad added that now there was no urgency on the part of the state government to revive the plan.

But now that the state cabinet has okayed a plan to start a pilot training centre in Dumka, may be these aircraft would be put to use.