Blind rights association fears derailment of welfare projects

G Saravanan
Published on 21 Jul 2009
CHENNAI: The move by the State Commissionerate for the Disabled to appoint a District Disabled Rehabilitation Officer (DDRO) as Assistant Director for Special Schools, has sent a shock wave among the blind teachers and students, as they feel it would derail several programmes that has been received due importance in the last two years by the department.

According to members of the Blind Welfare Rights Association, a united body of blind school teachers and students in the State, a file related to the appointment has been in circulation for the past few weeks and in its final stages.

As per the government’s rules, the post of Assistant Director for Special Schools, should be filled in only by principals of the 23 special schools and particularly from 10 schools for the blind.

When a separate Commissionerate for the disabled started in early 90s, Kuppusamy, who was from a blind school, was appointed as the first Assistant Director for Special Schools and stayed in the post till 2000. Another blind schoolman, Gunasekaran, succeeded him only as in-charge and was in the office till 2005.

The Commissionerate, besides having a commissioner as superior officer, has one deputy director and four assistant directors for administration, placement, handicapped works and special schools.Since 2000, no one was permanently posted for the post and only in-charges were given power to manage the important position. Currently, Jayalakshmi, Assistant Director (Placement) holds additional charge for the special schools wing.

A DDRO, who was given charge of assistant director special schools in 2005, was forced to move out.
A member of the association said three officials in the department, Commissioner Meenakshi Rajagopal, deputy director Mary Verghese and assistant director Jayalakshmi, has refined the institution plagued by corruption.
A senior official in the department said the appointment would not be permanent and the Commissioner had the power to post DDRO as in-charge assistant director.