Hyderabad, July 18 (IANS): Telangana Minister for Tribal, Women and Child welfare Satyavathi Rathod has come forward to help a farmer after Rs 2 lac cash saved by him for his abdominal surgery was eaten away by rats.

The minister on Sunday assured farmer Redya Naik that she will arrange his surgery in whichever hospital he preferred and also render him financial assistance.

She announced the help while reacting to the report about the tragic loss of the vegetable farmer. She deputed Mandal Revenue Officer to meet the farmer and console him.

The minister said the farmer need not be depressed over either the loss of money or his illness as all required help will be rendered to him.

The farmer of Vemunur village in Mahabubabad district lost his hard-earned money to rodents. He was shocked to see the currency notes kept in an almirah in his house shredded by rats.

Redya Naik had kept the money for his abdominal surgery. He required Rs 4 lakh for the surgery to remove the lump from his abdomen. With some savings and also hand loans taken from relatives and friends, he had kept the cash in the almirah.

As he wanted to deposit the money in the hospital on Tuesday, he opened the almirah but was shocked to find shredded currency notes which were in Rs 500 denomination.

"When I opened the almirah and took out the bag, I was shocked as the entire cash was shredded," said Redya Naik, who grows vegetables and sell them on his two-wheeler.

He approached several banks in Mahabubabad with a request to exchange the destroyed currency notes with new ones but the officials made it clear this was not possible.

He was depressed over losing the money and had lost hopes of undergoing the surgery.

When the farmer's plight came to her notice, the minister hailing from the same district came forward to help him. The farmer thanked the minister for her gesture.