The Hindu : Training centre for the deaf mired in controversy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 31, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Training centre for the deaf mired in controversy

By S. Rajendran

Bangalore March 30. The prestigious Technical Training Centre for the Deaf run by the Association of the Deaf is again mired in controversy, with two groups claiming the right to administer the centre levelling allegations of misappropriation of funds and equipment against each other.

In the bargain, the services being rendered to the hearing impaired have been hit.

The controversy has reached such a stage that one section has brought the matter to the notice of the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, V.V. Bhaskar, who, in turn, has directed the Joint Commissioner of Police, Jyotiprakash Mirji, to investigate and take appropriate action.

What has attracted the attention of the police is the complaint by one section that Ms. Williams, advisor to the training centre is a Pakistani and that she has allegedly siphoned crores of rupees with criminal intention.Ms. Williams has, however, stated that she is a native of KGF.

Founded in 1981 by Father Harry Stocks, a Canadian missionary who was himself caught in the crossfire of the politics at the centre, the Technical Training Centre for the Deaf has regularly into problems owing to the large amount of foreign and Indian funds involved.

The institution is also funded by the Union and the State governments and comes within the purview of the grant-in-aid code. Incidentally, since its inception several thousand hearing impaired persons have been trained in various trades and are now leading a comfortable life thanks to the excellent training imparted to them.

An interaction with the people belonging to both the groups revealed that it was the urge to take over the management of the centre that prompted the filing of criminal cases by both sections.

Pradeep Kumar Reddy, Janata Dal (U) leader and former corporator of Frazer Town, who has been working for the welfare of disabled persons for over a decade, told The Hindu that it would be appropriate for the State Government to take over the institution or, at least, appoint a nominee to closely monitor its functioning. Further, politicians should be barred from holding any office at the institution since it would only hasten the closure of the place.

A section of the hearing-impaired persons led by K. Prabhakar, former vice-president of the association, recently approached Mr. Reddy and requested him to take over the mantle.

In their view, a politician could help them bring pressure on the police to investigate and take appropriate action against the advisor, Ms. Williams, and the Secretary, Ganesh Rao, who have reportedly misappropriated a large amount of funds.

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