An open letter to DG NACO. Termination of 15 HIV related projects

[Guest guest]

Dear Madam,

This open letter is with reference to activities of Drishtikon along with

selected 15 NGOs put on hold for the past three months involved in the TI

program for FSW/MSM/IVDUs in Delhi state. Our NGO along with the participating

NGOs were advised by DSACS through E-mail dated 16.08.07 to stop all the project

related activities with immediate effect till the further instructions from

NACO. We want to bring in your discern that;

1. We along with the 15 NGOs in question were identified through a yearlong

tedious process to implement the TI projects in question firstly through an

advertisement in the month of JULY 2006 and then in the second phase by a team

visit of DSACS along with an outsourced agency at Drishtikon on 15th December

2006.

2. On 31st March 2007, Drishtikon along with all the other 15 participating NGOs

received an initial partnership letter by DSACS authorities to conduct community

need assessment in the target community. After this, more than four meetings

were held at DSACS from April 2007 till June 2007 regarding approval,

preparation, presentation and submission of CNA (Community Need Assessment)

reports.

3. During the meeting dated April 18, 2007 held at DSACS, to mark the

commencement of CNA, the Project Directors were categorically advised in no

uncertain terms, to appoint the staff with immediate effect. It was also

declared that the same staff would be expected to be retained for the main

project thereafter.

4. After completion and submission of CNA reports, on June 25, 2007, DSACS

reaffirmed the instructions to continue with the staff. Also, the NGOs were yet

again advised to identify the targets in the project area with assurance that

the project activities would commence in the month of JULY.

5. Finally a meeting of all the selected NGOs was called on August 01, 2007 to

discuss the Plan of Action for the project to be implemented w.e.f. 01.08.07.

In the presence of the Project Director, DSACS, the NGOs were advised to;

a. Go ahead with implementation of the project activities and recruit the staff

b. Hire the space.

c. They were also allotted the specific targets in the project areas and the

budget calculated for each NGO

d. The budget was signed individually by all the Project Directors.

6. As a result of the instructions from DSACS during the above mentioned

meeting;

a. All the staff has been recruited.

b. A place at the project site has been hired and advance paid.

c. The proposal was also made and submitted at DSACS within a week after the

meeting was held.

Since then there has been no formal communication from DSACS side, on telephonic

conversation, we are being continually told that as now NACO is seeing into the

matter so we must hold the staff and the space for some time.

My question to you is for what fault are the selected NGOS being put to suffer

with no clear cut instructions about the continuance of the programs?

Lots of energy and money goes wasted due to no clear cut instructions after the

selection process of the NGOs where they are not sure of being compensated also.

Are we supposed to continue the program with the maintenance of the space and

the staff since it's been three months since we have started with the program

and we still continue to do so in the absence of any further directions from

DSACS authorities?

Secondly, the newly selected NGOs start off their work with lots of energy and

enthusiasm to make beginnings and changes in the community they work for. If

such a situation continues, good NGOs would further fear from taking the Govt.

approved projects which could ultimately be a loss of govt. authorities only.

I also wish to state here that we put our efforts to strengthen the hands of

govt. agencies and such a step would not only carve the moral boost of the

implementing organizations but also the credibility of govt. agencies towards

the communities they look forward to.

I anticipate that such a situation would be avoided as it is going to damage the

image not only of the govt. agencies but also the NGOs who are answerable to the

community.

With Best regards

Sincerely yours

Mendiratta

General Secretary

Drishtikon

E-mail: drishtikon95@...

Website: drishtikon.org

Mb no: 9811350003

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/7895

This is in support to the concerns raised by Drishtikon through an open letter

to DG NACO regarding the uncertainty of continuance of the programm activity

under the TI projects for CSW/MSM/IDUs in the case of 15 newly selected NGOs in

Delhi state.

This is truly disheartening for the newly selected 15 NGOs that even after a

tedious merit based selection and then approval from the Project Director of

DSACS and all the formalities completed in the last meeting dated 1st August,

2007, the activities were stopped abruptly.

SPACE along with other newly selected NGOs were working as per DSACS

instructions and guidelines from the beginning i.e from the commencement of the

CNA till the submission of final project proposal after the signing of the

budget in the presence of the DSACS officials.

I would really like to question that :

•Does it mean that the NACO didn’t know anything about the selection procedure

and implementation of the TI projects in this particular case of 15 NGOs?

•Does it mean that the NGOs should stop trusting the State AIDS Control Society?

•Does it mean that the Community and the NGOs should always suffer due to

indecisions on the part of the Govt. agencies?

•What answers are we to give to the targeted community after failing to keep the

promises?

•How are we going to boost the morale of the community that we intended to work

with and for, after such disappointing happenings?

•How are we going to bear the embarrassment before the community?

•How do we bear the expenses of maintaining the space, staff etc?

•We would really request the concerned officials/agencies to look into the

matter and come to a decision at the earliest. This is a serious issue for us

and the community is at stake.

It is again stressed that such things not only damage the credibility of the

implementing organizations in the communities but also of the Govt. agencies and

their programme.

In solidarity,

Anjan Joshi

SPACE

(Society for People's Awareness, Care & Empowermnent)

E-mail : space_org@...

spaceorganisation@...

Mobile: 9818227105