Rail Ministry's Booklet of Achievements Selects Peon's Artwork as Cover

New Delhi, Jun 13: An artwork by a peon has been selected as the cover of the Railway Ministry's booklet of achievements. Shyam Sundar (35), working as a peon with the East Coast Railway headquarters in Bhubaneswar, was first spotted by a Delhi-based ministry official when he won top honours at an inter-railway painting competition recently.

The cover, which was the centre of attention at Railway Minister Piyush Goyal's press conference yesterday, shows Mahatma Gandhi disembarking a train with people greeting him at the gate. The booklet highlights the government's latest project - the commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

"I have been working as a peon for the past 10 years and this is my moment!" said Sundar, who was felicitated by the minister in the national capital yesterday. The artist said the final painting that made it to the 10 inch x 10 inch cover was his third entry, as the two sample sketches drawn by him were rejected.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal shared the artwork on Twitter:

"In the first one I sent, Gandhiji and the crowd were looking at the camera, so it was not selected. In the second one, Gandhiji's face was not clear, but I got it right in the third attempt. It was all done and approved in one night because we were working on a tight deadline," Sundar, a graduate in art and craft from Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar, said.

The booklet highlights the achievement of railways in the last four years and is sent to all public representatives. An excited Sundar added, "The railway minister shook my hand and said that the painting was beautiful. It was a moment of pride for me".