The Hindu : Karnataka News : Law on combating AIDS planned

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Saturday, Sep 18, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Law on combating AIDS planned

By Our Staff Correspondent

UDUPI, SEPT. 17. The Union Minister of State for Programme Implementation and Statistics, Oscar Fernandes, today said that the Centre was likely to pass a law to combat AIDS within a year.

He told presspersons here that the National AIDSA Control Organisation (NACO) had prepared draft legislation. The legislation would be discussed in a `Youth Parliament,' which would consist of two students from every university in the country and one representative each from the Nehru Yuvak Kendras. This Youth Parliament would meet on November 7 and 8. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, would participate in the discussions of the Youth Parliament.

Awareness drive

A representative from the U.N. was also likely to participate in the Youth Parliament. Based on these discussions and a wider debate with voluntary organisations and in other public forums, the Centre would formulate legislation. A public awareness campaign on AIDS with the involvement of gram panchayat members would also be taken up in rural areas.

Mr. Fernandes said the Union Government would set up special treatment centres in States such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland, where the prevalence of AIDS was high. These centres would provide medicines for the treatment of AIDS free of cost. In Karnataka, centres would also be established in Udupi and Mangalore.

The Minister said that there was no harm in the establishment of gas-based power plants in the district. Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) was going to lay pipelines in the district. When asked about the 1,015 MW coal-based thermal power project to be set up by Nagarjuna Power Corporation Ltd. (NPCL), he said that the people of the district were opposed to coal-based power projects. A gas-based power project could be considered, he said.

Mr. Fernandes said a sum of Rs. 20 crores had been allocated for the Varahi Irrigation Project in the district. The work had been taken up by the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam and was progressing smoothly.

Factory revival

On the ailing Brahmavar Sugar Factory, the Minister said he had talked to the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, on the issue. Mr. Singh had promised assistance to rejuvenate the factory. The four-laning of National Highway 17 would be taken up shortly.

Tenders on build, operate, transfer (BOT) basis had been floated for the project, Mr. Fernandes said.

S.R. Umashankar, Deputy Commissioner, and K. Sundar Naik, chief executive officer of the zilla panchayat, were present.

Earlier, Mr. Fernandes visited the District Government Hospital and inquired about the requirements there.

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