The Hindu : National : Nomination cancelled

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Sunday, Jul 17, 2005

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National

Nomination cancelled

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women on Friday cancelled the nomination of Motamma as its member, citing "prior personal commitments'' as the reason. She was replaced by Nirmala Venkatesh, another Congress leader from Karnataka.

Ms. Motamma, Congress Working Committee member and former Karnataka Minister, was nominated to the NCW on May 20 along with four other members. Congress party sources, however, said Ms. Motamma felt that working under a non-CWC member as the NCW chairperson would be "beneath her stature."

The Human Resource Development Ministry had terminated the services of three former members — Anusuiya Uikey, Nirmala Seetharaman and Nafisa Hussain — to accommodate the new members after the present chairperson, Girija Vyas, took over from Poornima Advani. The members nominated to the reconstituted Commission are Neera Konwar, Sushila Tiriya, Malini Bhattacharya, Yasmeen Abrar and now Nirmala Venkatesh who assumed office on Friday.

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to the Ministry and the Commission on a petition filed by the former NCW member, Nafisa Hussain, challenging her removal from office by the United Progressive Alliance Government. While the court declined to stay the Government decision, it asked the parties to file their replies by October 20.

Ms. Hussain had been nominated as member of the NCW by the National Democratic Alliance Government in September 2000 and given an extension in October 2003.

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