Te Uttar Pradesh government felicitated a 98-year-old man by the name of Vijay Pal Singh for being ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-dependent) and refusing to be a financial burden on his family, after a video of him selling chana on the street went viral on social media.
As per reports, Singh hails from the Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh. Inspired by PM Modi’s call for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, he began selling boiled chickpeas (chana) on the streets. The 98-year-old said that he did not want to be physically weak or a burden on his family. As such, he started making a living at such a ripe age. Singh informed that his son sends him money each month but it isn’t enough to make ends meet.
98yr old Vijay Pal Singh from UP was honoured with a cheque of ₹11000 by the district administration for being self-reliant & independent at his age. Asked why he troubled himself with a job at this age, he said he is doing this not for money but to keep fit. Never say die! pic.twitter.com/CwFTNGCCCU
— Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) March 5, 2021
In a video that has now gone viral on social media, Vijay Pal Singh was seen talking to a customer who was curious to know about his age and work timings. The self-dependent man said that his income from the ‘Channa’ stall added to the family’s earnings. He informed that his son lives in Delhi while his granddaughter and daughter-in-law lived in the village. The UP government has now awarded the man for his spirit of ‘self-reliance’.
District magistrate Vaibhav Shrivastava handed Singh ₹11,000, besides a stick, shawl and a ration card. He informed, “Baba has a gram (chana) shop. He was called here. He already has a house under the PM Awas Yojana. Here the Patra Grahasti card and other support were provided to him. He is a source of inspiration for all of us. He hasn’t set up a shop under any compulsion but because he remains self-reliant which is a good message. All of us aspire Baba’s blessings.”
IAS officer also posted a video of felicitating Vijay Pal Singh in his office. He informed that apart from Rs 11,000 in case, Singh was also provided a certificate for a toilet.