Visually challenged youths of the Orissa Association of Blind make chalks on their campus in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, April 17: The efforts of at least 200 visually challenged workers of the Orissa Association of Blind (OAB) seem to go down the drain as packets of chalk, made by them, have not yet been supplied in schools across the state.

The school and mass education department had proposed the association to make chalks for the schools. The directorate elementary education agreed to procure the chalks from the association in 2009.

“The department had asked the OAB to get the chalks ready. It had assured that the department would take care of the marketing part,” said former OAB secretary Sanyas Behera.

The orders were to be placed to the OAB directly following which chalks would be supplied to different points. The OAB was to use its production units at district and block-levels to make the chalks. However, the project never kicked off.

The association had made the initial investment in procurement of the raw materials. Moreover, youths, who had learnt chalk-making, had worked hard to get the first few thousands packets ready. However, the department officials never showed up.

“Employment opportunities are little for the visually blind. The recruitment has been zero in all the 37 department of the state government. In such a case, supply of chalks to schools could have been a major booster for many unemployed disabled youths. However, no orders were placed,” said Behera.

The matter was communicated to the department as well as different district collectors from time to tome, but none placed orders.

Officials at the department refused to speak on the issue. As of now, chalks and other items of the schools are procured through tender procedure.

In another development at the vocational training centre of the OAB, the youths continue learning chalk making and view it as a source of income. “Pouring a mixture into a mould might appear simple, but the real test lies in the correct proportion of baking and cooling to ensure strength and smoothness of the finished product,” said Binod, a youth. However vocational education for the visually challenged in the state has remained limited to chair caning and chalk making.