To make Telangana ‘beggar-free’, Prisons Department of the state has implemented a new initiative for rewarding anyone who spots a beggar in the city and informs officials with Rs 500.
However, when the Department came across G Venkatesh, a beggar who lost a limb in a terrible accident, instead of taking stern action, they gifted him an artificial prosthetic limb—called the Jaipur Leg—which allows him to walk without any assistance.
The Jaipur Leg (or Jaipur Foot) is a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with amputations below the knee.
Venkatesh hails from Mahaboobnagar and was riding on a two-wheeler when it crashed into a lorry. As a consequence of the accident, Venkatesh lost a part of his left leg below the knee, and consequently, his livelihood.
“The incident has surely distanced me from my wife, children, and mother. I came to Hyderabad to make a living to support my own needs,” he informed the New Indian Express.
Venkatesh now supports himself by begging on the streets of Hyderabad and was spotted begging outside the Prisons Department.
An elated Venkatesh told the New Indian Express that thanks to the Jaipur Leg, he is now able to do many day-to-day chores without any hassle. He also walks effortlessly.
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The Prisons department had collaborated with Youth for Seva, a local NGO, for this initiative. The NGO had earlier undertaken an informal survey to understand the need for such efforts, after which they partnered with a voluntary organisation who supply the artificial limbs.
A Prashanth, a volunteer with Youth For Seva, said, “We have approached the prisons department not just to help beggars with artificial limbs but also with other requirements. All we are doing is to bridge the gap between the beggars and organisations which provide free artificial limbs.”
Featured images for representative purposes. Source: Flickr/ Flickr.
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