VISHVENDU JAIPURIAR
Chatra, May 21: For the 20-year-old blind Somesh Kumar Pandey, cracking the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam and getting the job of a clerk in the income tax department was not so easy. Somesh lost his father Gautam Pandey in childhood and his mother Kaushalya Devi in the year 2020 due to covid.
Blind Somesh was left with a brother Pravesh Pandey, who has no fingers in his hands. It became tough for the duo to even fetch water from a nearby well. Ishwar Dayal Pandey, the representative of Chatra MP Sunil Kumar Singh came for their help. On the initiative of Singh, NTPC released funds for deep boring in their house in the year 2021 which solved their problem of fetching water from a well.
Somesh completed his matriculation from a school in Giridih and intermediate from Chatra College. At present Somesh is pursuing three years degree course in History stream from Delhi University through Braille.
A resident of Sisai in Tandwa block, Somesh expressed his desire to take up his studies further. Somesh who wants to crack the prestigious UPSC got help from Ishwar Dayal Pandey. Pandey told Singh about Somesh and his desire to study further. Singh directed CCL which has Amrapali-Chandragupt coal mines in Tandwa to provide all possible help to Somesh.
Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) was providing support to children who lost their parents due to covid. Somesh was also added to CCL’s CSR covid scholarship fund due to which he started getting Rs 5000 per month. Somesh got admission to Delhi University but kept preparing for competitive examinations as well. This was the reason why he cracked the SSC examination.
Pandey said Pravesh and Somesh were also getting divyang pension but it was stopped during the covid period. I took them to the then DC in the year 2021 after which it was started again. Their story is unique and despite all odds, they kept fighting and now success came for Somesh, added he while talking to Lagatar24.com.
Somesh said this is not his actual target. I want to crack UPSC to become an IAS officer so as to do something for the country and society as well as to help the needy.
Amrendra Kumar Singh, general manager of CCL’s Amrapali-Chandragupt coal project motivated Somesh and said his story is inspiring for everyone.
Somesh’s elder brother Sudarshan Pandey has now returned and started living with them. He gives tuition to local children and got married recently. His wife Nimmi Devi said when she got married, all used to tell her that she would have to take care of the two handicapped brothers of her husband as well. But I am so proud now as Somesh proved that talent is bigger than disability, she added. Trio brothers have proved everyone wrong and they will now take care of me, she added with a smile. Nimmi is a matriculate.
