Vigilance officials raid blind school in Ongole

Ongole: The regional vigilance officer for the Prakasam district M Rajani and her team raided the Mother Teresa School for Blind in Ongole on Wednesday evening and found many violations.

They handed over the children to the Child Welfare Committee on Thursday and submitted a report to the government for action.

According to the vigilance and enforcement officials, the Mother Teresa School for Blind is being run in a congested building with no records about the details of the children.

Rajani said there were only 24 students, where the organisers used to submit a report that they are giving shelter to 65 students to withdraw funds.

She said that though the school is for the blind students, there are only 5 blind students and the remaining are mentally retorted and children suffering from various diseases.

She observed that there are boys and girls from ages 5 years to above 18 years accommodated in the same congested rooms, against the rules of the government.

Rajani said that as per the orders give by additional joint collector Siri, they shifted the aged girls to the Bommarillu shelter home on Wednesday night and produced them before the child welfare committee on Thursday morning.

She said that the organiser of the school has no permission to run a hostel, including the mentally retorted and aged children in one place.

She said that the organisers received Rs 14 lakh as funds from the government being colluded with the department officials, who also recommended for Rs 18 lakh this year and already withdrew Rs 4 lakh.

Rajani said that she submitted a report to the government with full details about the violations and involvement of the suspected officials.

The child welfare committee ordered the authorities to shift the children to government shelter home and provide amenities to them immediately, she added.