The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved a proposal by the Department of AIDS Control, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for the implementation of National AIDS Control Support Project (NACSP) under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) for an amount of Rs. 2550 crore. NACP is financed by the Government of India and the World Bank in equal proportion.

The primary objective of the project is to increase safe behaviour among high risk groups in pursuance of the national goal of accelerated reversal of the HIV epidemic by 2017. The primary focus of the project activities would be strengthening and scaling up of prevention interventions and related BCC strategies for sub-groups of population identified to be most-at-risk by the NACP. These include Female Sex Workers (FSW), Men who have sex with Men (MSM), Transgender (TG) / Hijra populations and Injecting Drug Users (IDU). The project would also support the planned expansion and consolidation of tailored interventions for other at-risk populations, including migrant workers and truckers which play a critical role in the transmission dynamics of HIV in the country. The BCC strategies developed under the project would provide emphasis on demand generation for prevention services among high risk groups and vulnerable populations, including a specific focus on youth. This component would also address the need for reduction of stigma associated with HIV by focused IEC to change the prevailing attitudes and perceptions.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the implementation of the project of 4-laning of the Dimapur-Kohima section from Km. 124.1 to Km.172.9 of NH-39 (excluding Dimapur and Kohima bypass) in the state of Nagaland, under the special Accelerated Road Development Programme (SARDP-NE) Phase ‘A’ in North Eastern Region on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT - Annuity).

The total length of the road will be 42.8 km. with total project cost of Rs.1089.87 crore (excluding land acquisition and pre-construction). The concessionaire will make all expenditure to complete the project and will charge the annuity from the Government.

The main object of the project is to expedite the improvement of infrastructure in Nagaland. The project is one of the stretches approved by the Government under SARDP-NE. It will facilitate reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic playing between Dimapur to Kohima. It will also increase the potential of employment to local labourers for project activities.