Imphal, August 31: Setting the record straight on the present fiasco over the delay in releasing the fund to the NGOs for the month of April to June under phase-II of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP-II), Project Director of Manipur AIDS Control Society Dr TR Kom has disclosed that it is due to restriction imposed on MACS by a pressure group.

As for whether the fund for implementation of programmes under NACP-III would be disbursed or not depends on the performance of the NGOs, he said, while talking to some reporters at his office chamber this afternoon.

He informed that in order to assess the performance of the NGOs, evaluation is being carried out by the Community Medicine of RIMS in accordance to the instruction given by NACO.

The National AIDS Control Organisation has already communicated that the fund would be released only after perusal of the evaluation report of the NGOs, TR Kom disclosed.

He informed that to release the pending fund for the Phase-II, a meeting of the executive committee was held on July 30.Apart from representatives of MACS and NGOs, the meeting was attended by Secretary of Health, Director of Health and Superintendents of RIMS and JN Hospital.

In accordance to the resolution of the meeting, the process for releasing the fund had completed when some youths belonging to a pressure group came to MACS and put restriction on releasing the fund, TR Kom said, adding that the youths had also threatened over the telephone against releasing the fund.

When questioned why the pressure group had imposed restriction on releasing the fund, TR Kom informed that the pressure group contended that there are some NGOs which do not function properly.

As for releasing the fund for the Phase-III, the Deputy Director said evaluation of the performance of all the 75 NGO partners of MACS is being carried out by the Community Medicine of RIMS.

Evaluation is necessary to find out whether the NGOs are performing their duties efficiently or not, he explained, while disclosing that MACS had received instruction from NACO to blacklist the NGOs whose performance are not satisfactory.

Inspite of the instructions given to the Community Medicine, RIMS for submitting the evaluation report within August 15, the same has not been complied with.

So nothing can be said on the performance of the NGOs, TR Kom said.

However, an official team of NACO which had come to Imphal from August 22 to 25 had already taken possession of one soft copy of the evaluation report from the Community Medicine, RIMS and had given the instruction for submitting the final report within Sept 1, he added.

Another Deputy Director of MACS Dr Manikanta, however, maintained that after receiving the evaluation report discussion would be required in connection with blacklisting of the non-performing NGOs.

Even if a non-performing NGO deserved to be blacklisted, if the number of HIV patients living in the project area of the NGO is very large, then it would be proper to give necessary advice for proper functioning in view of the setback likely to be sufffered patients in case of blacklisting the said NGO, he contended.

Refuting the charges of not providing any material supports besides fund as alleged by some NGO partners, TR Kom asserted that MACS has been provided adequate quantity of the required medicines, condoms, syringes, needles, cotton, etc to all the NGO partners of MACS.

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