Telangana’s Minister for Industry and Information Technology K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday distributed 300 custom made vehicles among the differently abled persons under ‘Gift A Smile’ initiative on the occasion of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s birthday.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister stated that these vehicles will not only help the differently abled to move around but will also give them opportunities to go out for work, run businesses and make a living.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, thanked all the leaders who participated in this initiative and donated vehicles.

“Everyone celebrates birthdays. However, as we are in public life, we wanted to do something for the people and we started the ‘Gift A Smile’ initiative. I started the initiative by donating 100 custom made vehicles. But today the initiative has scaled great heights and has touched the lives of many,” he said.

“Until now, 850 custom made vehicles were donated by public representatives and another 250 vehicles are ready to be distributed very soon,” KTR said.

The minister, who is also son of Chief Minister KCR, personally interacted with the disabled persons and also cut the cake marking the occasion of CM KCR’s birthday.

He pointed out that Telangana is giving Rs 3,016 as monthly pension each to the differently abled persons. He said the pension for differently abled is only Rs 600 to Rs 1000 in Gujarat, Rs 300 in Madhya Pradesh and Rs 1,000 in Uttar Pradesh.

On a call given by KTR, who is also the working president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the party cadres participated in various activities like blood donation, food and clothes distribution in hospitals, old age homes and orphanages across the state to mark KCR’s birthday.

KTR also flagged off an ambulance donated by RRF Foundation under the Gift A Smile program.