PIL in Gauhati HC against Nagaland govt for not appointing HIV, AIDS ombudsman

The PIL was filed on Tuesday by Network of Nagaland Drugs and AIDS Organizations (NNagaDAO) and Network of Naga People Living with HIV and AIDS (NNP+) with support from Nagaland Human Rights Law Network

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Kohima bench of Gauhati high court against the Nagaland government for failing to appoint an ombudsman mandated by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act 2017 and the Nagaland HIV and AIDS (Ombudsman and Legal Proceeding) Rule 2019.

Representational Image. (File photo)

The PIL was filed on Tuesday by Network of Nagaland Drugs and AIDS Organizations (NNagaDAO) and Network of Naga People Living with HIV and AIDS (NNP+) with support from Nagaland Human Rights Law Network.

“The statutory mandate is to appoint Ombudsman within one hundred and eighty days after the commencement of the Act, however this has not been complied with by the respondents as even after the lapse of 2 years and 10 months, the state of Nagaland do not have even a single ombudsman appointed. Hence, the respondents had not only violated the statutory mandates but also denied the protected persons their rights to seek protection and redress their grievances through the mechanism which has been designed to suit their needs,” the petition said.

NNagaDAO president Abou Mere and NNP+ president Lanu Aier said their organisations have made several written appeals to concerned departments for an HIV and AIDS ombudsman in the state, while 53 NGOs have served a representation to state governor to direct his government to do the needful at the earliest, but to no avail.