Question : IMPROVING EFFICIENCY OF ARCON

to the reply given to Unstarred Question No. 2551 on August 10, 2005 and State:

(a) whether the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has modified the instructions and projects, allotted to AIDS Research and Control Centre (ARCON) under Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM);

(b) if so, whether NACO will be releasing funds directly to the NGOs;

(c) whether as per the MOU, ARCON has to act as the coordinating NGO;

(d) if so, whether NACO and ARCON have obtained consent from the World Bank and the GFATM for such modification; and

(e) if so, the measures taken by the Government to improve the efficiency of ARCON?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE ( SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)

(a): Yes, Sir.

(b) & (c): Yes, Sir.

(d) & (e): Due to some representations received from other member NGOs and based on the decision taken by the Country Coordination mechanism (CCM) created for GFATM project, all the three NGO members namely YRG Care, Chennai; Freedom Foundation, Bangalore and ARCON, Mumbai have been permitted to work independently.