For the past few months, the Prisons Department in Hyderabad is on a mission to free the city of beggars but by rehabilitating them instead. And while it may have received a lot of flak, one of their initiatives is definitely receiving praises.
The State Prisons Department has gifted an artificial limb to G Venkatesh, a man they’d found begging on the streets.
The department is planning to extend this initiative to other differently-abled beggars and Venkatesh is the first one to receive an artificial limb.
Venkatesh, a resident of Mahaboobnagar, lost a part of his left leg below the knee after he crashed his two-wheeler into a lorry. Life became difficult for him after his leg was amputated.
He told TNIE:
The incident has surely distanced me from my wife, children, and mother. Except for running, I am able to walk and do many of the day-to-day chores without much hassle. It is of immense happiness for me.
A city-based NGO assisted the department in carrying out this activity. The NGO members carry out surveys and then approach voluntary organisations that are willing to supply artificial limbs for the disabled beggars.
A Prashanth, a volunteer of Youth for Seva told TNIE:
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 other organisations which provides free artificial limbs.