The Network of Nagaland Drugs and AIDS Organisation (N-NAGA DAO) today staged a peaceful protest rally against National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in Kohima to express resentment over the non-payment for work done for HIV and AIDS intervention in Nagaland.
Over a hundred volunteers from different organisations working for prevention of HIV and AIDS in the state under the banner of N-NAGA DAO took to the streets from its office upto the Chief Minister's Office.
They submitted a representation to the Chief Minister T R Zeliang seeking his timely intervention to facilitate the release of the pending grants from December 2015 to March 2016 to all the organisations affected by the crisis created by NACO.
They said that the non-release of HIV grants to the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the field of HIV and AIDS has left its grassroots staff without salary.
NACO and Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) are constantly engaged in blame-game while the NGOs and its staff continue to suffer, they said, adding that the delay is also causing huge burden to the families of the staff and to the organisations, while also hampering the critical work of HIV prevention in the State.
N-Naga DAO also maintained that the timely release of grants will not help protect the rights of the HIV and AIDS workers at the grassroots level but will go a long way in ensuring the effective implementation of HIV and AIDS program in the State.
The protestors held placards, some of which read "Need leaders intervention in targeted intervention", "Give us what we worked for", "Enough of false and shallow assurance", "We demand our fundamental right to live", "Prevent HIV and AIDS by timely release of fund".
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