Rahul Gandhi bats for disabled student

Bengaluru: Ms Chandana Chandrashekhar, a visually challenged final year B.Com student of Mount Carmel College of the city had a surprise call on Tuesday. It was from AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi's office. It was to inform her that AICC Vice President had raised her demand with Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for rolling back of import duty on Braille typewriters and Braille paper.

It all started with Mr Gandhi's visit to the Mount Carmel College last week. Chandana, a resident of Malleshwaram, wanted to raise the issue of costly Braille typewriters and Braille paper, which is unaffordable for a majority of visually challenged students.

She managed to get the email id of one of Mr Gandhi's assistants and wrote an email to him seeking Gandhi's intervention over concession on imported Braille equipment. To her surprise, Mr Rahul Gandhi who came to know about the email wrote a letter to the Union Commerce Minister on November 30.

He mentioned about Ms Chandana and demanded rollback of import duties on Braille typewriters (electronic and non-electronic) and Braille paper. In his letter, Mr Gandhi pointed out that such a decision would empower the needy students as they can study easily. Later he tweeted about the letter through his official twitter handle.

Ms Chandana, daughter of a bank officer, informed that if the Centre removes the duties on these equipment, it would help the needy. "I did not write this mail for my personal benefit. I was really happy that Mr Gandhi had raised the issue," she said.

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