Blind school headed by bone specialist

The Bihar government was put to 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 revelation in the Bihar legislative assembly had members in splits. It prompted social welfare minister Manju Verma to 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 head of the admission committee of Kadam Kuan Blind School for Boys.

“What will the orthopaedic surgeon do? Will he check the bones of blind students? The 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.

Verma said she would look into the demands. She also promised that the government would ensure qualified writers for visually impaired students, including those suffering from partial visual impairment, to write their exams. But she 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. Verma assured they would take steps to improve facilities at