Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (RD/SP)
 
Beltangady, Nov 4: Local MLA, K Vasant Bangera, held an interactive meet on Tuesday November 3, for the sole purpose of helping a man in distress, a rare gesture coming from a politician. Moved by the plight of 32 year-old bidi worker named Jaya Poojary, a resident of Poyyagudde, Padangady village, near here, who became totally disabled when he accidentally fell from the upper storey of the building while on duty, he decided to come to his rescue. 
 
Jaya Poojary is bed-ridden since the said tragic fall that happened in the year 2005, and was finding it hard to get a square meal a day. To help him out, the MLA forwarded a letter to the state administration, seeking necessary help under the social welfare schemes.

 
The bidi firm that employed Jaya Poojary, refused to do anything else, except meeting the initial hospitalization charges of Rs 23,000, even though further treatments cost over a lac of rupees.  The monthly treatment of Jaya costs over Rs 7,000. He was finding it impossible to meet the family expenses and educational expenses of his children, in addition to his own treatment.

Even after Vasant Bangera intervened, the bidi firm refused to pay any additional money. Bangera brought the suffering Jaya in a police van to the bidi firm’s premises. Local people including shop-keepers, newspaper agents, bus agents and the local people contributed whatever they could, totaling to Rs 46,000. Bangera could put together a sum of Rs 60,000 from his various accounts and handed over the amount to Jaya.  He also warned the bidi firm of laying siege to its building with help from local people. The firm then handed over one lac rupees to Jaya.

All this money came in an hour, because of the MLA’s benevolent gesture. The people, who had gathered at the meet, proved that humanity is above all other considerations.