The Bihar government was put to some embarrassment when a ruling party legislator pointed out that an orthopaedic surgeon was heading the admission committee of a government blind school in Patna.
The legislator’s revelation in the Bihar legislative assembly had the members in splits. It also prompted social welfare minister Manju Verma to immediately assure the house of taking immediate corrective steps to change the committee.
Senior JD(U) legislator Shyam Rajak on Tuesday informed the house how instead of an ophthalmologist, an orthopaedic surgeon was the head of the admission committee of the Kadam Kuan blind school for boys.
“What will the orthopaedic surgeon do? Will he check the bones of blind students? The committee should have been headed by an eye specialist, so that blind students applying for enrolment can be properly examined on severity of their visual disorder,” he said.
Raising the issue through a call attention motion, Rajak also demanded appointment of regular teachers in three blind schools of the state and opening of plus-two and residential schools for blind girls.
The minister said she would look into the demands. Verma also promised that the government would ensure qualified writers for visually impaired students, including those who suffered from partial visual impairment, to write their examinations.
{{/usCountry}}The minister said she would look into the demands. Verma also promised that the government would ensure qualified writers for visually impaired students, including those who suffered from partial visual impairment, to write their examinations.
{{/usCountry}}She, however, did not give a categoric reply on the appointment of regular teachers against 14 vacancies in Patna and Darbhanga blind schools for boys, saying the matter was sub-judice.
The minister also assured the house to take corrective steps to improve facilities at the Darbhanga blind school, which BJP’s Sanjay Saragi said was in a deplorable condition.