Ghaziabad: Specially abled girl pedals 15km on worn-out bicycle, DM gifts her scooty
Lalita Kumari, the daughter of a farmer, was asked to come to the panchayat office where she was gifted the scooty
A 17-year-old specially abled girl has pedalled her way into the heart of the Ghaziabad district magistrate after she rode a worn-out bicycle she had borrowed from a neighbour 15km daily to attend her degree college.
Lalita Kumari of Sadatnagar Ikla village near NH-24 had joined the college recently after scoring first division in her UP Board examination. She was in for a pleasant surprise on Thursday when Ghaziabad district magistrate Ministhy S gifted her a brand new Scooty to help her reach her college comfortably.
Lalita, the daughter of a small-time farmer, got a call from district magistrate asking her to come to the panchayat office on Thursday. When she reached there, a small event was organised for her and officials gifted her the keys of her new Scooty.
“I was surprised that the DM has offered me a new Scooty. This is a dream come true. I am thankful to all officials as well. This kindness will encourage me to study harder and attain a bright future. The cycle I was using was an old one and I had borrowed it from a neighbour after I joined the college,” Lalita said.
It was the efforts of the villagers that brought the Scooty Lalita’s way. They took it upon themselves to highlight Lalita’s examination result and her health issues before the district magistrate when she visited the village last week.
“Some villagers told the DM about my sister scoring first division and her disability which renders her helpless sometimes. She finds it difficult to pedal the cycle 15km each day to attend her college. Lalita was born with a deformity to her foot. The gesture of the district officials is much appreciated and the Scooty will ease her problems,” said Amit Kumar, Lalita’s brother.
Read I Specially abled Ghaziabad girl makes it to top design institutes
“A new helmet was also gifted by the district magistrate. Now, we have to teach her to drive the two-wheeler so that she can become more self-reliant,” he said.
The officials said they were trying to help Lalita’s ever since the villagers told them about her scoring high marks and her daily struggle to get a higher education.
“The DM roped in some sponsors who arranged funds and the new Scooty was bought and gifted to her. We hope that the two-wheeler will motivate her to do well in her studies and life,” said Prem Ranjan Singh, subdivisional magistrate.