Visually challenged students stage dharna against closure of school in Nalgonda

The parents of the students urged the State government to take over the DWAB school and run a residential school in the building exclusively for visually challenged students.

Nalgonda: More than 30 students of a private school run by Development and Welfare Association of the Blind (DWAB) for visually impaired staged dharna at the district collectorate on Monday, protesting against the closure of their school which impacted their education. The visually challenged students, along with their parents, raised slogans demanding the officials to intervene and get their school reopened.

A Class V student of the school, Nama Kushal said that he was studying in the school for the visually blind from his Class I. About month ago, the DWAB management had abruptly told them that the school was being closed due to lack of funds for maintenance. With this, continuation of their education is now in a dilemma, his parents said.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Alluri Lokesh, a Class IX student, who has studying in the school from the first standard, said that there were 72 visually challenged students studying in school where 50 of them were regularly attending the classes. The school management had shutdown the school citing lack of funds and increasing expenditure. “The DWAB directors said they can run the school only if the number of students was above 100, making it financially feasible. The two-storey building was built by DWAB with donations received for construction and operation of a school for visually challenged students, but it has been now leased out to a private college by its directors,” he explained.

The parents of the students urged the State government to take over the DWAB school and run a residential school in the building exclusively for visually challenged students.

DWAB general secretary Chokka Rao tried to blame the State government stating that they were unable to run the school as the State government did not release grants for the same this financial year, which posed several financial hurdles. The proposal for the grant was still pending with the District Collector, he claimed. However, he could not elaborate why the building constructed with donations to operate a school for the visually impaired, was now leased out to a private college.

Meanwhile, the students along with their parents submitted a representation to District Collector T Vinay Krishna Reddy who assured to look into their issue and take necessary action in this regard.