Birthday surprise for specially abled

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 6

A visually challenged man, who holds MA and BEd degree, got a home when he turned 39 today.

Forced to take to begging due to the traumatic family life and failed attempts to get a job, Billu Paswan was today shifted to Sector 21-based Cheshire Homes, a place for the destitute, by the local Municipal Corporation.

He has been living and begging outside Sai mandir in Sector 29 for nearly 2.5 years.

“I spotted him several times on way to office. He was living under a tree. We got him shifted to Cheshire Homes and we will try to find a job for him. He can work in a call centre or helpline,” said Vivek Trivedi, social development officer, MC.

After schooling from the blind school in Sector 26, he did his MA (Hindi) from the PU. Later, he pursued his BEd from Government College of Education, Sector 26, in 2008 and also cleared CTET. He completed his education through donations.

“I tried for teacher’s job and took several examinations, but could not find a job. Till 2017, I was living at a hostel in BEd college on compassionate grounds. Then they asked me to vacate. I had nowhere to go and started living outside the temple,” he said.

His father is mentally challenged and is admitted at a hospital in Palsora and mother died when he was a child.