Imphal, September 18: Demanding release of fund for the NGO partners of Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS), representatives of the NGOs from all the districts of Manipur today got together and staged a sit-in demonstration in front of the office gate of MACS at Lamphel.

The NGO partners of MACS which demonstrated today include 45 related to IDUs, 5 related to female commercial sex workers, 2 related to MSMs, another 2 related to truckers and 3 related to migrants.

The protest demonstration was staged as the fund of these NGO partners have not been released since April this year.

In connection with non-release of the fund, Project Director (Administration) of MACS W Ajitkumar told The Sangai Express that MACS has not been able to release fund to its NGO partners as NACO has not provided any fund in view of the incompletion of the audit of NACP Phase-II and the Phase-III has not yet been implemented.

Nonetheless, MACS would try to talk with the Chief Minister who is also the chairman of MACS and the Health Minister to see whether some fund could be utilised from the State fund.

The fund utilised from the State fund could be returned back after the release of the fund by NACO, he added.

Ajitkumar further informed that North East regional co-ordinator of NACO PK Sharma would be coming to visit Manipur in last week of September to look into the problems being faced by MACS including inability to complete the audit of the NACP Phase-II.

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