Lockdown: Selfless soldier takes loans to feed poor in Andhra Pradesh

This is true in the case of this BSF jawan, who came to his home on a vacation. True to his profession, this soldier rises to the occasion when people are in trouble.

Published: 10th April 2020 07:52 AM 

BSF jawan Pitta Rajulu distributes essential commodities to the villagers at Pittavanipeta in Santabommal mandal, Srikakulam

By Ramesh Babu G

Express News Service

SRIKAKULAM: ‘A soldier is never off duty’, reads the tagline of the 2004 superhit Bollywood movie Holiday, starring Akshay Kumar.

This is true in the case of this BSF jawan, who came to his home on a vacation. True to his profession, this soldier rises to the occasion when people are in trouble.

Not just on the battlefield, but even back home, where the poor are in need of essential supplies. He’s not just risked his life, but even spent from his pockets to help them.

Witnessing the plight of the poor with non-availability of transportation facilities to purchase essential commodities, Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Pitta Rajulu from Pittavanipeta of Santhabommali mandal has till now distributed essential commodities to more than 720 households in various hamlets of Lakkivalasa panchayat.

For this, Pitta Rajulu has so far spent more than Rs 1.30 lakh from his pocket. This amount includes his RS 40,000 salary of March. He also took hand loans from some known persons to serve the needy. Majority of people in the Lakkivalasa panchayat comprising Lakkivalasa, Pittavanipeta, Segiri Lakkivalasa, Goluguvanipeta and Geddalapadu hamlets are fishermen. 

Due to marketing and transportation problems due to the lockdown, fishermen of the coastal villages are not going to the sea. Some of them have migrated to other States for construction works, leaving behind their families and elderly people behind, and got stranded at their workplace due to the lockdown. 

To buy essential commodities, people of the hamlets have to go to Borubadra, which is six km away from the panchayat.

“After noticing the difficulties of the people for obtaining essential commodities, I have decided to help them in every possible way,” said Pitta Rajulu, who came to his native place on a vacation. He is posted at Khurda of Odisha. “I had to spent the whole salary of March and my savings. I took hand loans also to meet the expenses,’’ he said adding that he will clear the loans with his next month’s salary. In this initiative, Rajulu got the support of some youngsters, who helped him in buying the essential commodities from various shops in Borubadra, Santabommali and Srikakulam. T Venkatesh, a resident of Geddalapadu village, said five youth from each hamlet helped the jawan in bringing essential commodities from different places.