COMMUNITY NETWORK FOR EMPOWERMENT (CONE) Vs. STATE OF MANIPUR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The prayer in this PIL is as follows:-

(2.) Heard Mr. Kh.Tarunkumar, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. P.Tamphamani, learned Government Advocate for the respondent No.1. Also heard Mr. A.Bimol, learned senior counsel for the respondent No.4, JNIMS, Mr. K.Roshan, learned counsel for the respondent No.3, RIMS, Mr.S.Samarjeet, learned CGC for the respondent No.2 and Mr. K.Rabei, learned counsel for the respondent No.5.

(3.) The petitioner pleads that as per the Operational Guidelines for the ART services by the NACO under the National AIDS Control Programme, 2012, it is mentioned for keeping minimum stock of ARV drugs for 3 months at the ART centres and also for regular supplying of ARV and OI drugs to the eligible PLHIV, the PLHIVS in the State of Manipur are not getting their due ARV drugs regularly and because of the scarcity of the said drugs and medicines, they were compelled to buy the said drugs from open market even if the said drugs to be made available to them free of cost as per the NACO guidelines. The said issue which is being faced by the HIV patients in the State of Manipur was widely published in all the leading local dailies including the People's Chronicle and Imphal Free Press. In the news paper report published in the People's Chronicle, it ws reported that one patient who is undergoing ART treatment since 2009 was compelled to buy ARV drugs from the market at the cost of Rs. 2700/- for one month and most of PLHIV, their financial conditions are not sound.