NEW DELHI: The zonal sub-centre of the Lalit Kala Akademy (LKA), Puducherry has defended appointment of Meera Kataria, daughter-in-law of Lieutenant Governor, Virendra Kataria, as its convenor.
A press release said Meera Kataria was a renowned social worker and a member of Rajasthan Social Board. She had also been associated with SPIC-MACY and several other organisations. She and the other members have been nominated on the basis of their own standings and contributions without any extraneous provisions of the rules or bye-laws with any persons in authority in the government. All the nominated members including the convenor are working on honorary basis without any kind of salary, perks and allowances.
Relations with an authority could not be a bar for such nominations by the academy. Since LKA is an institution under the government of India, no consultation whatsoever with the territorial government was required by the academy in making nominations in their zonal centre or sub-centre, stated the release.
The appointment of the committee for sub-centre in January 31 became controversial as the UT government had no knowledge about it. Four members of the seven member committee including the convener do not belong to UT, while a good number of the other members are not associated with Art and Culture.