Bhubaneswar, May 27 (UNI) A tea vendor in the millennium city of Cuttack in Odisha has been hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his “Mann ki Baat”, aired on the All India Radio on Sunday, for his selfless service in realizing the dreams of slum children.
"There are some people who go ahead with their work to bring about a change. Through their hard work and dedication, they make it a reality. Such is the story of D. Prakash Rao, living in the slums of Cuttack, Orissa, who gave up everything in order to adopt and realize the dreams of others," the Prime Minister said.
"Just yesterday, I had the good fortune of meeting D. Prakash Rao, who has been selling tea in the city of Cuttack for the past five decades. A small tea vendor, today you will be surprised to know, with his efforts has illuminated the lives of more than 70 children through education."
Mr Modi said, Prakash Rao has opened a school named Asha Ashvaasan, spending 50 per cent of his income for children living in the slums. "He ensures education, health and meals for all the children coming to this school," he added.
“I congratulate D. Prakash Rao for his hard work, his persistence and for providing a new direction to the lives of those poor children attending his school. He has banished the darkness from their lives," Mr Modi said.
“Who amongst us does not know the Vedic shloka “Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya. This shloka has been put into practice by D. Prakash Rao whose life is an inspiration to us, our society, and the whole country,” the PM stated.
The Prime Minister who addressed a huge rally at Cuttack on Saturday on the completion of the four years of his office met the tea seller during his brief visit to the city and today hailed the tea vendor in his popular “Maan ki Baat”programme.
The tea vendor resides in a slum cluster near Bauxi Bazaar in Cuttack and has been in the business for last five decades. He is an unsung hero but continues to serve the people with his little earnings.
He is a familiar face in Cuttack for helping the slum children and providing them education by opening a primary school from class I to class IV. Mr Rao runs the school with the help of a teacher, he has hired and bears all the expenses of his school from the money he earns from selling tea.
A delighted D Prakash Rao told a local TV channel that he was overjoyed when he met Mr Modi along with the slum children, during the PM's visit to Cuttack, yesterday.
"The Prime Minister," he said," spent few minutes with us and wanted to have "sabaji mila ke daal” (popularly called dalma by the Odia people), with us."
The tea vendor was forced to discontinue his school education due to financial constraints, which he said, motivated him to provide the opportunity to other underprivileged.
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