Mouli Mareedu By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A 33-year-old ex-serviceman, Lenkala Mahipal Reddy, who was injured while operating a military tank, is now seeking the State government’s assistance for climbing the Mount Everest. Mahipal Reddy currently works as a constable in the Telangana State Prohibition and Excise Department and he would be the first from the department to climb the Everest in April this year. Mahipal, who obtained a posting in the Vigilance wing of the Excise department after quitting the Army, is finding it tough to get financial assistance for the Everest dream. “Though I have financial problems, I have a burning desire to climb the Everest. I request the government to consider extending some financial assistance for my endeavour,” Mahipal said. Mahipal suffered injuries to his shoulder during his Army stint. Later, he joined the RTC vigilance wing. In 2014, he shifted to the Excise department and now works as a constable in Karimnagar. Mahipal Reddy had climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in 2019 which is 5,895 metres high. He also climbed the Mount Elbrus in Russia, in August, 2019. It is 5,642 metre high. “I got selected to climb Mount Everest (8,848 metre) in April, 2020. It costs nearly Rs 35 lakh. My department has been very supportive and has extended some assistance,” Mahipal said. The constable plans to create awareness about running for health and saying no to drugs during his Everest climb. Mahipal was trained at the National Institute of Mountaineering located in Arunachal Pradesh under the Ministry of Defence.

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