A chaiwala waits for his date with Narendra Modi!

Warangal: Md Mahmood Pasha, a chaiwala who measured his success well with the help of Centre's Atmanirbhar Bharat, caught the eye of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). That puts him on the elite list of persons chosen by the PMO who might speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of Mann ki Baat programme on July 1.

The 34-year-old Pasha was a confused lot when he was setting out to go to his home in Pathak Mahela from his tea stall, abutting the third gate of MGM Hospital, a couple of days ago, with the call he received on his mobile phone. The caller who claimed himself as an official from the PMO enquired him about his tea stall and how he was benefited by the Rs 10,000 loan availed under Atmanirbhar scheme, aimed at assisting the street vendors.

Pasha, a dropout after Intermediate, thought for a while about the veracity of the call. Then he contacted the officials of the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA).

The officials told him that his name was referred to the higher-ups due to his prompt repayment of loan installments and for adopting cashless transactions such as G-Pay and PhonePe. Speaking to The Hans India, Pasha said, "I am on cloud nine ever since I received a call from the PMO.

The PMO told me to be ready for the rendezvous with the Prime Minister which is likely to happen on July 1. If at all it happens, indeed, it's a privilege to talk to the Prime Minister directly over the phone, which is not possible for everyone." Indeed, it was a privilege especially for a person who hails from a humble backdrop. Pasha took over the tea stall from his father when he was a teenager.