The Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission has been reconstituted with former minister Tripurana Venkataratnam as its chairperson and several other prominent persons as its members.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy took a decision to this effect and a Government Order (GO 11) has been issued. The other five members of the commission are Paruchuri Jamuna, Sunitha Krishnan, Thoti Malleswari, Mukala Kasturi and L Feroze Begum. ST category members would be nominated separately and orders would be issued soon.
Tripurana Venkataratnam, who holds a Doctorate and an LLB degree, is from Srikakulam district. She was elected as TDP MLA in 1983 from Cheepurupalli and served as a minister in the Cabinet of N Bhaskar Rao. Her father T Raghava Dasu was a freedom fighter and was an MLC and DCC president between 1978-81. She is also a noted social worker and activist.
Parchuri Jamuna is a post-graduate in political science and is the daughter of P Ramaswamy from Hyderabad. She started her career as a journalist in 1975 in Eenadu and actively participated in setting up women’s NGOs for women’s education, health and girl child rights. She was the project manager & director (advocacy), SERP in 2003 and is also a prominent social activist.
Dr.Sunitha Krishnan is from Kerala but settled in Hyderabad and is an MD in Psychiatry. She is leading Prajwala, an NGO, and has done remarkable service in anti-human trafficking and rehabilitation of victims through her NGO. She received national and international awards.
Thoti Malleswari is wife of T Raghava Reddy, a Congress leader. A post-graduate, she was a ZPTC member from Chowdepalli in Chittoor district and ZP Standing Committee chairman (social welfare) and member, District Food Advisory Committee.
Mukala Kasturi is a post-graduate from Vizianagaram and a former ZPTC member. She is a prominent social worker. L Feroz Begum, a graduate, is former mayor of Kurnool (2000-05) and a noted social worker.