Budding poet Feroz Alam had composed the 'shayeri' in praise of the Railways Minister and got an opportunity to present it before Prasad at a function organised at the Kolkata terminal.
Alam had just began singing Apna Lalu-ji ko hum hargis bhula sakte nahin/ yeh jo Railway hai, dusra koi chala sakta nahin, when the Railways minister stopped him and told one of the officers, usko bahal kar lo.
Son of a septugenerian mason, Alam resides in Belgachhia area close to the terminal and works as a 'surmawalla.' He also sells sarees at times.
"I never thought my day would end like this," a visibly elated Alam later said, "this is the greatest day of my life."
Railway sources said that 27-year-old Alam would be offered a Group-D job under the cultural quota.