Dimapur, June 7 (MExN): The Legislators’ Forum on AIDS, Nagaland Assembly, today clarified to reported statements made by Nagaland’s Health & Family Welfare minister that the government has no knowledge or check over funds meant for the HIV/AIDS health sector in Nagaland.
The coordinator of the forum Dr. Vinito L Chishi issued a statement today saying that the comments “has been brought out of context.” The clarification said that the minister for Health & Family Welfare was surprised to see the context in which he had reacted to queries from the Press ‘has been brought out-of context’. “The honorable minister regrets that his statement has been misquoted from what he intended and wishes to put the record straight in regard to the headlines: ‘Government unaware of HIV/AIDS budget’; ‘No mechanism to check utilization of HIV/AIDS funds’; ‘Selection of NGOs and utilization of fund by the NGOs’.”
“This has cast aspersion on the NGOs as well as NSACS. In this regard, the minister wishes to put it clear that he was quoted out of context. The reply was given to mean that LFA has no mechanism to control the funds or their utilizations which are channelised through NSACS. However, apologies are hereby extended to the NGOs and NSACS if this has hurt their sentiments,” the forum said.
The forum said the minister is fully aware that the funds received by local NGOs through the NSACS from the NACO are “utilized strictly as per Operational Guideline of the Financial Management issued by NACO-GOI; in this regard, the chairman–cum–Commissioner & Secretary of Health & Family Welfare has also clarified that NACO has one of the strictest monitoring mechanism for checking the fund utilization,” the forum asserted.
Nagaland has 68 NGOs which are funded by NACO through NSACS; the process of contracting these NGOs is through a tedious process of evaluation mechanism prescribed by NACO, the forum said. “The utilization of fund by the concern NGOs has been very specific and strict that diversion and mis-utilization of the fund is restricted by constant monitoring through comparison of the Physical and Financial achievements. Furthermore, the Annual Action Plan of NSACS is taken up to the Executive Committee for approval.”
The Legislators’ Forum added that the minister “is happy” that the HIV prevalence (Adult HIV prevalence per NACO technical brief) is in “downward trend”: 2003 – 1.83%, 2004 – 1.62%, 2005 – 1.45%, 2006 – 1.26% and 1.20% in 2007. “Further the population based survey has revealed that the prevalence is showing a further downward trend. This has been made possible because of the joint efforts of all concerned, especially the NGOs and stakeholders,” the forum said and extended its appreciation.