Agartala , Jul 25, 2024, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala July 25: Taking a crucial step towards the concerning issue of rising cases of HIV/ AIDS across the state, the High Court of Tripura has directed the state government to submit a detailed report of the measures taken to address the issue within two weeks next.

The directions came on Thursday after hearing to a PIL was held under the division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Arindam Lodh on the basis of a letter issued by Justice T Amarnath Goud addressed to the Chief Justice, Tripura High Court mentioning that ‘cases of HIV/AIDS are spreading at an alarming rate across the state and needs urgent attention’.

The letter addressed to the chief justice also highlighted the concerning prevalence of HIV infection among school students of various schools in Tripura.

Briefing the details of the case to the media persons, Advocate Kohinur Narayan Bhattacharjee said, “Taking cognizance of the matter, the division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Arindam Lodh has directed the state government to submit a detailed report within next two weeks”.

“Considering the seriousness of the burning issue that requires immediate attention, the Court has sought the report within a very short period of time”, he said.

Notably, in a recent report by the Tripura AIDS Control Society (TSACS) citing the overall scenario of HIV/AIDS in the state mentioned at least 47 death cases and 572 positive cases, all belonging to the student community.

While adding that at least 5-7 cases are reported on a daily basis, the TSACS officials also cited ‘injectable drug use’ to be one of the prime reasons for HIV spread among the student community.

Advocate Kohinur Narayan Bhattacharjee however mentioned that the state government is utmost serious about the issue and is taking necessary steps for raising awareness and proactive measures to curb the epidemic is in focus.