The National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) seems to have initiated efforts to wind up the Madhya Pradesh State Aids Control Society (MPSACS) even as the Phase II of the National Aids Control Programme officially ends in October, 2004.

Highly-placed sources said the Madhya Pradesh government has been instructed to start the winding up process by cutting down the contractual appointments by March 31, 2003. In a letter to the state government, the NACO has warned of budget curtailments and expressed its inability to extend its grants to the contractual appointments from this date.

Though, Vishwa Mohan Upadhyay, Director, MPSACS, categorically denied any receipt of such letter from NACO, sources said questions have been raised on the work done by the Society under the Phase II programme.

Meanwhile, the state government, in an official release, has contradicted these reports and claimed that the MPSACS would complete its full term as prescribed under the programme and the contractual/deputed employees would work for full term till October 2004.

The Phase II of the National AIDS Control Programme has become effective from 9th November 1999 as a centrally sponsored scheme implemented in 35 States and Union Territories through AIDS control societies.

The steps taken by the MPSACS to implement the NACO guidelines have received criticism from several quarters. Apart from the establishing some Voluntary Care and Counselling Centres (VCTC) during the late 2002, and infrequent awareness camps, the Society has practically remained dormant. The objections have been also been raised on the implementation of the schemes for enhancing facilities at the blood banks.

In an effort to reduce transmission by blood transfusion and occupational exposure, the NACO had included activities like setting up of new modern blood banks, upgrading existing major blood banks and setting of 80 new district level blood banks. Also installation of blood components separation units was on the cards.

The MPSACS, during all these years of operation has been able to install three blood separation units - in Bhopal in 1994, in Indore and Gwalior in 2002 - all of which are non-functional - kudos to red-tapism. Further, fingers have been pointed at the manner in which some funds have been transferred to NGO without conforming with the prescribed terms and conditions. The NACO had planned to establish new support services for care for persons with AIDS in partnership with NGOs and CBOs by establishing small community based hospitals, hospice programmes, drop-in-centres and home based care would be taken up. Few of these have come up in Madhya Pradesh, said sources.