Jangaon: Youngsters raise Rs 1.18 lakh through WhatsApp to help bereaved family

47 people, mainly youngsters, from Regula village of Kodakandla mandal in the district collected Rs.1.18 lakh through a WhatsApp group and handed over the amount to the bereaved family of Balla Raju

Jangaon: In a heartwarming gesture, 47 people, mainly youngsters, from Regula village of Kodakandla mandal in the district collected Rs.1.18 lakh through a WhatsApp group and handed over the amount to the bereaved family of Balla Raju, 28, who died of a heart attack on October 8 in the village.

Raju, son of Yakaiah, was eking out a livelihood as a cab driver in Hyderabad and was the sole breadwinner for the family. However, he died suddenly when he had reached his village to meet his parents on Dasara festival. With his demise, the poor family including his wife, son and parents were pushed into misery.

Moreover, Raju’s father Yakaiah had undergone surgery for his back and was slowly recovering. Moved by the plight of the family, some of the villagers had informed the matter CMO Secretary Smita Sabharwal through Twitter. Sabharwal then directed officials of the Medical and Health department in Jangaon to provide medical and health services to Yakaiah, including physiotherapy. She also asked the members of the Smitam Hitam, an NGO, to help the family.

Meanwhile, a group of youngsters coordinated by Gade Mahender Reddy, the District Child Protection Officer, Warangal, and Ette Rajeshwar Reddy, a techie, managed to raise Rs.1.18 lakh fund by creating a WhatsApp group called ‘Helping Hands-Regula’. They deposited Rs.80,000 in the name of Raju’s six-month-old son in the post office and handed over Rs.38,000 for the medical expenses of Yakaiah on Saturday.

Following an appeal from the villagers, NGO Lodi Multipurpose Social Service Society director Vijayapal Reddy also handed over the family essential commodities worth Rs.8,000.