Manipur to close AIDS Projects !

[Guest guest]

Firefight against Aids wrapped in red tape

The Statesman 12th December, 2001-New Delhi

Manipur observed World Aids Day on 1December with fanfare but ground action to

combat Aids is in jeopardy. According to data collected till August,

Aids-related deaths stand at 186 and confirmed cases at 997 with 1,2000 people

testing HIV positive in the state.

The first Aids case was reported in Manipur in 1986. The authorities, however,

are yet to evolve a system free from bureaucratic and political interference to

combat the dreaded virus. Funds are not being released by the Manipur Aids

Control Society (MACS), the state apex body to combat Aids. This has affected

the functioning of NGOs, which run hospitals for Aids patients, Organise rapid

intervention and other programmes.

Funds were frozen after a blanket ban that followed a Union home ministry report

which alleged: " Funds have been siphoned off to underground elements through

NGOs. " This death a blow to about 100 NGOs empanelled with MANS. According to a

report, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), the nodal Aids-fighting

agency in India, had approved Rs 681.53 lakh for 2001-2002 for MACS under its

action plan for Manipur where the disease is spreading fast because of its

proximity to the " Golden Triangle " .

The amount approved initially was Rs 480.53 lakh but was increased on MACS'

request. Of the allocation, Rs 240 lakh is in MACS' kitty. MACS' executive

committee and governing body had approved the action plan and the funds had been

disbursed. However, after the imposition of Central rule in Manipur in June,

funds were frozen on instruction from the Union home ministry vide Gol letter no

8/17/200-NE-dated 6/12/2000 which sought the blanket ban. Earlier, the state

government continued to disburse continued to disburse funds in violation of the

order on the premise that MACS was an autonomous body and directly monitored by

NACO. Usage of funds were approved by its governing and executive bodies of

which the chief minister was the chairman and commissioner (Health) was

president, respectively.

But after the imposition of Central rule, the Governor-in-Council, with the

Governor as its head, took over the task. The council felt the ministry's

clearance was needed before releasing funds.

According to MACS, nearly Rs 100 lakh of the Rs 240 lakh released as first

installment had been used up - before the restriction came into effect - under

the NACO representative's supervision. MACS project director, Khomdon m,

said: " We have written to NACO and the Union home ministry for direction. We

have apprised them of the situation and critical nature of the work. A public

interest litigation has been filed by a journalist. " The joint secretary of the

Union home ministry, Surinder Kumar, told us over telephone to get clearance for

all NGOs working with MACS from the district commissioner before disbursing

funds. We have written to the DC for clearance certificates for all NGOs working

with us. " The Commissioner (Health), Henry K Henny, had written to NACO on 30

October that the matter was " toppriority " Mr. Henny had highlighted that all

activities " of MACS had been grounded in the past three months. The government

drew media criticism. " We cannot treat this at par with other issues as the

situation is critical and lives are at stake, " said Dr Khomdon.

" We understand the Union home ministry's concern but HIV/AIDS is an epidemic and

should be treated as such, " he said. This cannot be put on hold. " People are

dying. The virus is spreading rapidly and the least we can do is to continue

with the fire fighting. All NGOs must not be made to suffer for the handiwork of

some, " Dr. Khomdon said. " If there is information on specific NGOs having a

nexus with insurgents, these must be blacklisted soon so that we can get on with

the work, " The Governor's adviser, Mr. Kinpgin, who handles the health

portfolio, said the funds were blocked after an official memorandum from the

home ministry. MACS had been blacklisted in January. In March, senior officials

of NACO were asked to conduct a probe into alleged irregularities into MACS'

functioning. The team did not find any discrepancy. So the funds had been

disbursed to it. " We have also found out that the allegation that MACS had a

nexus with underground organizations is not true. Dr. Khomdon will be sent to

New Delhi soon, " Mr. Kipgen said. Mr. Kumar has been asked to conduct a probe

into the NGOs activities in Manipur.

" The present instruction is that funds to existing NGOs be disbursed after

verification by senior officers of the department concerned at the Centre and

any new NGOs seeking funds need to be cleared. " But the problem is that

officials concerned are unwilling to visit Manipur, he said. A senior official,

who did not want to be named, said the blanket ban should be extended to all

insurgency-prone areas like Assam and Nagaland and not be restricted to Manipur.

On the blanck list are names of NGOs, which have not received any funds.

Aids/HIV statistics are shooting, thought. Of the 3,456 blood samples tested up

to September, at least 948 were found HIV positive, white 249 were confirmed

Aids cases.

Manipur has recorded 1,010 HIV positive cases since 1986 from blood samples of

54,232. The unofficial figure is much higher. Many Aids-related deaths are not

reported because of the stigma attached to the disease. The good news is that

there is a decline in the HIV seroprevalence rate from 80.7 per cent in 1997 to

60 per cent in 2001. The bad news is that the rate among pregnant women is no

the rise. The latest epidemiological analysis of HIV/AIDS in Manipur conducted

by MACS estimated there are about 1,000 afflicted children in Manipur.

The trend is shifting from intravenous drug users to sexual transmission,

according to field workers. After Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Manipur is the

third-highest HIV/AIDS infected state in India.

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Jagdish Harsh ( jharsh@... )

François-Xavier Bagnoud (INDIA) ( www.fxb.org )

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