Dinesh in his native Baragovind village. Telegraph picture

Patna, Jan. 22: Loss of a limb in a terror attack usually sends a person into depression. But Bihar’s Dinesh Manjhi has overcome the trauma of losing his right leg in the Mumbai serial blasts last year. And now he means business.

Converting his adversity into an opportunity, Dinesh is all set to open a grocery shop at Chakia, close to his native village Baragovind in East Champaran district. With an artificial leg and around Rs 3 lakh in his bank account following financial help from the Centre and the Maharashtra government, 20-year-old Dinesh has decided to open the store.

Till the July 13, 2011 blasts shook Mumbai, Dinesh was a daily wager in a bakery in the business capital of India.

“I was completely shattered by the blast and the amputation of my right leg had added to my agony. But the support from the Centre and the Maharashtra government gave me the courage to start a new and better life,” Dinesh, who is back to his native place from Mumbai after getting the artificial leg fitted, told The Telegraph over phone.

The Maharashtra government paid for Dinesh’s artificial leg. As far as the financial help is concerned, the Centre and the Maharashtra government gave him Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.75 lakh, respectively.

Dinesh had hinted at his future plans in September last year itself, when he had visited his village for the first time after recovering from the blast trauma. He walked with the help of crutches then. He could not deposit the cheques from the Centre and the Maharashtra government because of not having a bank account.

Now both these handicaps are gone. Dinesh has started walking. He also has an account in the Kuria branch of Bank of India, a few kilometres away from his village, now.

Amid all these positives, absence of any financial help from the state government pains Dinesh. “I had submitted an application with the district administration in September last year but have not heard yet from the Bihar government,” he said.

Giving reasons for help not coming his way, principal secretary of labour department Vyasji said: “The state cabinet approved the rule for providing financial help to the migrant labourers sustaining injury while working outside the state in October last year. Now we have come up with advertisements inviting applications from the deserving people. As the new rule has been made effective from April 2011, Dinesh will also get financial help.”

Informed about the process, the boy from Baragovind said: “I will submit a fresh application within a week.”