Parashuram, a Class 7 student of a government school and who cannot walk due to polio, was happy as he got a free tricycle from the government on Sunday.
Hailing from a family of daily wage workers, he said that he would crawl to school which was nearly 1.5 km from his home near Jokatte, on the outskirts of the city.
But from now on he will use the tricycle to get around.
Parashuram is among those persons with disabilities who were given aid and articles at a camp on the premises of the Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat office here on Sunday.
The Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped, under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, had organised the camp along with the district administration.
Parashuram and his mother received the tricycle but had a problem in taking it to Jokatte, which is nearly more than 15 km from Mangaluru.
Finally a representative of Rotary Club, Mangaluru B. Ganesh Nagvekar arranged for a vehicle to help him.
Abdul Saleem of Chokkabettu and Sunita of Surathkal, who received a tricycle and a stretcher respectively, were also sent in the same vehicle.
As many as 298 beneficiaries were identified by the government to receive 333 articles worth Rs. 13.5 lakh at the camp. It included kit for persons with mental disabilities, artificial limbs and callipers, modified shoes, corner chairs, hearing aids, chairs for persons with cerebral palsy and the like.
An official said that 199 persons received the articles at the camp and the things for the remaining 99 have been handed over to the district disabled rehabilitation centre.
