47 students die of HIV in Tripura, 828 test positive
Tripura: A senior official from the Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) has reported a troubling rise in HIV cases among students in the state. According to the latest data, 47 students have died due to HIV, while 828 students have tested positive for the virus.
The majority of these cases are linked to intravenous drug use, with affected students hailing from 220 schools and 24 colleges. The TSACS has indicated that between five to seven new HIV cases are being detected daily. As of May 2024, there are 5,674 people living with HIV in Tripura, including 572 students.
The surge in HIV cases has been attributed to intravenous drug abuse, particularly among children from affluent families. Many of these families, where both parents are often in government service, inadvertently support their children's drug habits until it is too late.
At a media workshop organized by the Tripura Journalist Union, Web Media Forum, and TSACS, Joint Director of TSACS presented a statistical overview of the HIV situation in the state. He noted that data was collected from 164 health facilities across Tripura, covering almost all blocks and subdivisions.
As of May 2024, TSACS has registered 8,729 people in the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres. Of these, 4,570 are males, 1,103 are females, and one patient is transgender.
The workshop was attended by Project Director TSACS Dr. Samarpita Datta, Secretary of Tripura Web Media Forum Abhisek Dey, President of Tripura Journalist Union Pranab Sarkar, and other senior leaders of the Tripura Health Department
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
