From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Moved by the plight of children of AIDS victims, Governor of Assam, Janaki Ballav Patnaik, on Tuesday announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh to help Assam Network of Positive (ANP+) people, an NGO working for these children, according to a Raj Bhavan source.
The Governor along with first lady Jayanti Patnaik, on Tuesday met a delegation comprising of workers, children and officials of Assam Network of Positive People (ANP+) at the Raj Bhavan here.
Moved by the story of plight of these affected people , the Governor declared a grant of Rs 5 lakhs from his discretionary fund to the NGO which is a non-profit community-based organisation run by people living with HIV and which has been working for the welfare of HIV-affected people since 2004.
The children of the Kasturi Children Care Home, which is an orphanage of children of AIDS victims run by ANP+, and who too are infected, recited a prayer and also introduced themselves which was followed by the introduction of the rest of the delegation.
Both the Governor and the first lady were deeply moved after hearing their pathetic experiences after being detected with HIV, AIDS.
Jahnabi Goswami, the lady behind the NGO, made a power-point presentation on the activities, achievements, aims and visions of the NGO.
The governor expressed his great satisfaction at the remarkable works undertaken by the young lady who too is a victim of the disease and thanked her for her immense contributions for the cause of the welfare of the HIV positive people.
Besides extending the financial grant, the governor also affirmed that he would extend all possible help to look into the enactment of an anti-discriminatory act in Assam.
The grant of lifelong pension to HIV-affected widows and widowers, the extension of insurance coverage to HIV positive people and the extension of Antodaya Anna Yojana Scheme benefits to them. He also assured them of all other help possible from his side.
