Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 18 2008:
STATING THAT the fight against HIV/AIDS in the state is being seriously hampered by the non-payment of funds by the Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MACS), the All Manipur NGO Partners Consortium on HIV/AIDS has demanded that all due payments for the last eight months be released by November 20 .
According to a statement issued by the Consortium, an emergency meeting was held in this regard in the premises of the Manipur Voluntary Health Association (MVHA) today to discuss the hardships faced by the high risk population and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA).
The Consortium further resolved to launch a non-cooperation movement against the authorities concerned if the funds are not released by the said date, the statement said, and added the NGO Consortium will not submit their monthly report, or attend meetings and training programmes as well as cooperate in observing the World AIDS Day 2008 organized by the MACS as a part of their agitation.
Meanwhile, anguished representatives of NGOs and people living with HIV/AIDS reportedly gheraoed officials of MACS and prevented them from holding a meeting in the office of the MACS.