Chennai, June 6 (IANS): Close on the heels of her appointment as UNADAP goodwill ambassador, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami on Saturday said the state government would bear the higher education expenses of M. Nethra, daughter of C.Mohan, a salon owner in Madurai.

In a statement issued here, Palaniswami appreciated Nethra's gesture of convincing her father to spend Rs 5 lakhs - savings towards her higher education - for providing relief to those affected by the Covid-19 lockdown.

Palaniwami said lauding Nethra's selfless act the government will bear her higher education cost.

Moved by the people's distress during the lockdown Nethra urged her father to help them.

Mohan dipped into his savings of Rs 5 lakh and donated essentials to about 600 families. This he did despite the fact that his salon was closed for two months as part of the Covid-19 lockdown and he had no income during that period.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned about this in his recent 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme.

During his Mann ki Baat programme, Modi said Mohan, who owns a salon in Madurai, had spent his entire savings to help people in distress during the lockdown.

"Shri Mohan ji runs a salon in Madurai. Through sheer hard work, he had saved Rs 5 lakh for his daughter's education. But he spent the entire amount in the service of the needy and the underprivileged in these difficult times," Modi had said on Sunday.

According to Mohan, he had saved the amount for Nethra's education. She is now in the eighth standard.

Mohan said the money could be saved later also but help for the people in distress had to be rendered immediately.

On Thursday the United Nations Association for Development And Peace (UNADAP) announced that Nethra has been appointed as a 'Goodwill Ambassador to the Poor'.

"We are really overwhelmed on hearing this news," Mohan told IANS.

Announcing this UNADAP said Nethra will be given the opportunity to speak at the United Nations (UN) conferences in New York and in Geneva addressing civil society forums and conferences.

"This position would give her an opportunity and responsibility to speak to world leaders, academics, politicians and civilians, encouraging them to reach out to the poorest of the poor," UNADAP said.

The Dixon Scholarship has awarded Nethra a scholarship amount of Rs 1,00,000.

"We are simple people from a small family. This kind of honour we did not expect," Mohan said.

"Originally, we were from Ramanathapuram district. We came to Madurai twenty years ago and opened this shop," he said.