Killing a skill development centre

Killing a skill development centre
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Highlights

Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao lauded the Vizag unit of Jana Sikshana Samsthan for rendering good service to the poorer sections of the society by imparting vocational skills that changed their lives. Former director of CESS who later became the vice chancellor of Andhra University said JSS was doling meaningful service

Visakhapatnam: Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao lauded the Vizag unit of Jana Sikshana Samsthan for rendering good service to the poorer sections of the society by imparting vocational skills that changed their lives. Former director of CESS who later became the vice chancellor of Andhra University said JSS was doling meaningful service far better than many universities in the State.

One among the 230 JSS units spread across the country, the Vizag JSS launched in 1984 achieved rare distinction of become the best in India in training maximum youth in more than 120 vocations. The aura surrounding the JSS, disappeared after Dr Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad quit as the chairman of the governing body in 2010 the year K Sathyanarayana took over as the new director.

Once busy, the JSS in Vizag wears a deserted look

SAthyanarayana, who joined as a clerk, became director by cleverly manipulating the guidelines and rules with some of the members of the governing body. Once he got grip of the institution, Sathyanarayana, allegedly twisted all the rules and even forged the signature of Dr Y Lakshmi Prasad while faking governing body meeting. He is accused of swindling the entire annual sanction of Rs 35 lakh from the HRD by faking bills and training programmes.

Local residents, particularly an activist L Satyanandam, who felt that a premium institution was being destroyed lodged complaint with the Union HRD ministry which immediately asked the then chairperson YN Jayaprada Devi to conduct an inquiry. The chairperson appointed a local advocate TVSK Kanakaraju to conduct an inquiry.

The advocate in his inquiry found all the allegations to be true and submitted a report along with evidence into malpractice, fraud and embezzlement of funds to the chairperson who later forwarded it to the ministry of HRD. But instead of taking action against the director, the HRD officials removed the Jayprada Devi from the chairperson post and reverted her to her parent department adult education.

Yet the number of complaints went on increasing following which HRD sent two officials-IPS Bakshi, under secretary school education and literacy and Narendra Jha, a consultant to HRD on school education to conduct an inquiry. Both the officials conducted an inquiry on June 14, this year and recommended the government to stop the annual grant till further inquiry.

All the programmes have been stopped, two employees were removed and JSS now has a ghost look,’’ said B Hari Prasad who was first victim of the director. Hari Prasad was forced into contract employment and later removed from the service for exposing Sathyanarayana’s corruption. I have lodged a complaint to the HRD ministry to conduct a fresh inquiry and change the governing body,’’ said local MP and BJP State president Dr K Haribabu.

By:KMP Patnaik

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