Surat: Counting days to his wedding ceremony, extra commissioner of Municipal Company Chandigarh (MCC), 39-year-old Rupesh Kumar, added a feather to his ‘saafaa’ (turban) on Monday, when the blind bureaucrat was awarded the title of ‘Tremendous Hero’ on the ‘Sensible Cities, Sensible Urbanization’ Convention.
Kumar, who rides a tandem cycle together with his driver or PSO to work each day, has been honoured for his efforts in direction of a clear atmosphere regardless of his handicap. A 2019 IAS officer of AGMUT cadre, Kumar rides over 100km each month on his cycle. “FWCC was from January 1 to 26. Regardless of a break for eight days because of Covid-19 I rode for 101 km,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, after marriage Kumar will get a brand new companion to pedal his efforts additional. “I would like somebody to steer and at the moment my workers members do this. It may be my partner as nicely. In the end it's about biking, which is a ardour for me,” Kumar instructed TOI.
The arrogance of doing one thing inspirational is loud and clear in Kumar’s voice whereas his smile solely places a stamp on the constructive notice. Kumar overpowers his incapacity by biking which is the one behavior that he didn't give up for his incapacity.
Obsessed with being feted because the ‘Tremendous Hero’ as a part of the ‘freedom to stroll and cycle problem’ (FWCC) by Sensible Metropolis Mission, the bureaucrat mentions the title whereas introducing himself.
“I used to journey my bicycle often once I was younger. However after dropping my eyesight, I needed to cease for a while. Later, I began driving once more in a borrowed tandem cycle with assist of mates, household, and colleagues. Lastly, I purchased my very own,” he mentioned.
A local of Amritsar, Kumar steadily developed imaginative and prescient impairment because of retinitis pigmentosa round 20 years in the past. “Initially I assumed my imaginative and prescient would enhance however now I've nearly 100% imaginative and prescient impairment,” mentioned Kumar.
“In Chandigarh, many individuals journey bicycles often which gave me the braveness to start out. This helps me preserve match and scale back air pollution as nicely,” he added.