Sravanam staff wait for facilities from TTD

Tirupati: The teaching staff of Sravanam project who have been rendering yeoman services to differently abled children read and hear are getting a raw deal from the TTD authorities which are the biggest religious institute in the country.

TTD started this project in 2006 with just 14 infants and two teachers. Today there are ar-ound 200 children recei-ving help in Sravanam centre. There are 61 teaching staff members working in the centre and one teacher for every four children.

The staff use specially designed tools and help the disabled children improve their hearing and reading skills.

However their outst-anding services to the differently abled have not been given the rec-ognition it richly dese-rves. The staff has been asking TD authorities to provide them time scale, medical facility to their families in SVIMS and ID cards etc.

They are deeply distressed that they have no identity cards since their appointment eight years ago. Even more tragic is that despite their high qualification with two PGs and a specialisation in special education they are gett-ing only '12, 000 per month and that too has not been given for six months.TTD authoriti-es are guilty of callous neglect towards these dedicated teachers for whom their work is a calling. The employees formed a society, and its president Muragaiah, explained to this paper about their plight and not getting salaries for six months. The medical officer Dr. Vikas turns a deaf ear to their problems.

“We have no ID cards and medical facilities like TTD employees. We are special trained tea-chers doing dedicated work but we have been sidelined by the TTD authorities. In the cou-ntry, I think there are only two such centres and ours is one of them. “Despite exceptional te-aching skills and qualifications, we are not ge-tting adequate salaries and we are demanding for time scale,” said Padamavathi, one of the teachers.

However the parents are voluble in their praise for the teachers. Mani Meghalai, a parent of Divya Darshini who comes daily from Pichatoor 50 km from here, along with her daughter, said the staff is very good and qualified. “They are God like to my child whose attention, care and teaching improved their life to an extent we never thought was possible.”she added.

Noorjahan, Silpa, Penchalaiah and others also expressed complete satisfaction at teachers’ services in Sravanam.

Interacting with the children, their parents and faculty members, the TTD chairman said the Srava-nam project which was started by the TTD in 2006 with just 15 infants and 2 teachers, and has grown to 180 children in the institute.

“This project is aimed at providing assistance to below five year old children with hearing impairment. There are about 60 well trained teachers to take care of these children. TTD is providing free hostel facility to these children. We are contemplating to provide free food to the day scholars also,” he told.

Later the parents lauded the services offered by the TTD and the treatment being given to their kids to enable them to lead a normal life like other children.