Rajesh can now take a rickshaw to school

His mother used to carry him for 8 km to school and back daily

Jayalakshmamma and Rajesh Babu in the autorickshaw arranged by the DDPI of Chitradurga district.

Rajesh Babu no longer needs to travel to school — four km from his village Rangavvanahalli — sitting on his mother Jayalakshmamma’s shoulders. Thanks to the intervention of the office of Deputy Director of Public Instruction, he can take a ride in an autorickshaw.

Moved by the plight of the mother and the son, who is paralysed waist down and had to reach school riding piggyback on his mother’s shoulders, DDPI K. Ravishankar Reddy has raised money and arranged for an autoricksaw to take Rajesh Babu to school and back.

The Hindu had reported on Sunday on the plight of the 14-year-old from Rangavvanahalli of Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district, who had to rely on his mother as there is no high school in his village nor any public transport to take him to Meerasabihalli that has the nearest one. Rajesh was keen on continuing studying after he finished Class 7 last year at the government primary school in his village.

An elated Ms. Jayalakshmamma told

The Hindu on Tuesday, “I am happy that everybody is helping us in one way or the other.” She explains that it was very difficult for her to carry her son, who weighs around 37 kg, and walk continuously for 4 km to the school and back again 4 km from there daily.

Rajesh Babu too was all smiles, “I was very sad for my mother all the time. She would get tired but always took me because I did not want to drop out of school. Now I can go in an auto.”

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S. Suresh Kumar told

The Hindu, “I will arrange to provide a job to Ms. Jayalakshmamma at Meerasabihalli so that she can look after her son and also work to earn her living.” So far Ms. Jayalakshamma is able to work three days a week because she has to take her son to school on other days. Babu used to skip schools on the days she worked.

He also assured of providing a KSRTC bus from Rangavvanahalli to Meerasabihalli in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district which will help more than 35 students who walk or cycle to Meerasabihalli daily.