COIMBATORE: A truck owner from Salem, held up in West Bengal after his vehicle met with a mishap, found help from fellow workers in the truck industry in Tamil Nadu. Members of e-Vahan Sevai, an NGO based in Ettayapuram, Thoothukudi, pooled over Rs 2 lakh and initiated efforts to bring the mangled truck and provide medical treatment to the injured driver.
The NGO has truck owners, drivers, mechanics and all others involved in the truck industry as its members. Following a desperate appeal by Natraj, the members of e-Vahan Sevai joined hands to bail him out.
“The driver, employed by Natraj, had rammed his goods-laden truck into another truck in Bengal on May 15 early morning. The injured driver was hospitalised. The next day, another vehicle rammed into the parked truck from behind,” said P Ganesh Kumar, a member of e-Vahan Sevai.
"Natraj, who rushed to West Bengal, was all in tears as he had bought the truck second-hand only eight months ago. Though he is not a member of e-Vahan Sevai, we decided to help him as he hailed from a poor background,” he said.
A request to donate money in the NGO's WhatsApp group got an immediate and overwhelming response. "Within a day, the members contributed Rs 2.12 lakh by sending the fixed Rs 234 each. Arrangements are underway to send a recovery vehicle to bring the mangled truck from West Bengal after completing the formalities. Medical help will also be provided to the driver, who has undergone surgery on his leg in the hospital,” Ganesh Kumar said.