The blind school in Patna is headed by an orthopaedic and not by an ophthalmologist, revealed a ruling party Janata Dal(United) MLA on Wednesday in the State Assembly.
The embarrassed State government promptly assured the House that immediate corrective steps would be taken on the issue.
Raising the issue through a calling attention motion, senior JD(U) legislator from the Phulwarisharief assembly constituency in Patna, Shyam Rajak, wondered how an orthopaedic surgeon be the head of the admission committee of the blind school at Kadam Kuan in Patna.
“What will an orthopaedic surgeon do? Will he check the bones of blind students? The committee must be headed by an ophthalmologist so that the blind students applying for enrolment in the school can be properly checked of their visual disorder,” Mr Rajak said.
Regular teachers
The ruling party MLA also demanded the appointment of regular teachers in three blind schools of the state, including Patna, and the opening of residential schools for blind girls also.
“Besides, the blind students should also be given plus-two level education at these schools,” he said.
Founded in 1992 the all-boys blind school in the Kadam Kuna locality of Patna has eight teachers and bare minimum facilities with no play ground.
Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav had visited the school some months back and promised all help to the students and the school administration but to no avail. The school is being run under the state social welfare department.
Mr Rajak’s revelation had members of the House in splits.
A visibly embarrassed Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma promptly assured the Assembly that she would take the corrective steps immediately and do the needful.
Qualified writers
The minister also said the government would ensure qualified writers for visually impaired students, including those who suffered from partial visual impairment, to write their examinations.
“I’ll take immediate steps to look into the issue and take corrective steps in this regard,” the minister said.
However, on the question of appointment of regular teachers against altogether 14 vacancies in Patna and Darbhanga blind schools for boys, the minister preferred not to elaborate much on it, saying “the matter is sub-judice.”
