Man receives wheelchair, poses for photos and then walks away on his feet in Sultanpur |
Sultanpur: A wheelchair distribution programme in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district has landed in controversy after a video surfaced showing a man receiving a wheelchair, posing for photographs and then standing up and walking away without any assistance.
The incident occurred on Saturday at the Lambhua block premises during a Divyangjan welfare programme organised by the Department of Disabled Welfare. BJP MLA from Lambhua, Sitaram Verma, attended the event where assistive devices were distributed to persons with disabilities.
In the video, an official is seen handing over a wheelchair to a man who sits on it for photographs with the MLA. Shortly after, the same man gets up from the wheelchair and walks normally, triggering outrage on social media and raising questions about beneficiary selection and official oversight.
After the video went viral, district officials issued clarifications, saying the wheelchair was meant for a differently abled youth who could not attend the programme due to illness. According to officials, the equipment was therefore handed over to the beneficiary’s father.
District Backward Class Welfare Officer Mudit Srivastava said that 16 tricycles, eight wheelchairs, four crutches, one hearing aid and one walking stick were distributed during the programme. Certificates under the marriage grant scheme were also handed over.
He said the wheelchair was given to Ram Dhani, a resident of Bankepur village, whose son Sandeep is differently abled and was unable to attend the event.
Meanwhile, local residents alleged that the programme was poorly publicised, preventing many needy persons from availing themselves of the benefits. They claimed that no prior notice was issued and that officials distributed equipment only to selected individuals to complete formalities.
MLA Sitaram Verma defended the distribution, saying the assistance was provided on humanitarian grounds. He said the wheelchair was handed over symbolically to the father as the beneficiary was ill and unable to attend. He also alleged that misleading narratives were being spread on social media and maintained that the help was extended to a genuine beneficiary.
