LARKANA, May 20: The number of AIDS cases in Larkana rose to 85 after three new cases were detected in the district. Official sources told this correspondent here on Thursday that two cases , after being diagnosed at the Chandka Medical College Hospital's pathological laboratory, had been sent to the Sindh AIDS Control Programme in Karachi for confirmation.

Another person was found HIV positive after his blood screening was conducted on Wednesday at the CMCH. Maqbool Mashori, general-secretary of the Community Development Network Forum (CDNF), which runs a drop-in point centre for AIDS patients, told this correspondent on Thursday said that the Future Group had initially funded the centre from Aug 2003 to Jan 2004.

He said that the National AIDS Control Programme management had promised to finance the centre for next six months but it had not provided funds. He said that the CDNF was now running the centre on self-help basis. He claimed that 30 HIV cases regularly visited the centre.

REMOVAL DEMANDED: The Sindh-Balochistan Rice Millers and Traders Association has demanded that the Sindh government should suspend the director general, agriculture extension wing, and initiate an inquiry against him.

In a press statement issued here on Thursday, association president Gada Hussain Mahisar criticized the director general for introducing contract system for recovery of market committee fees.

He appreciated the Sindh secretary for agriculture for cancelling three contracts in Larkana, Shahdadkot and Kambar sub-divisions and demanded that he should ban the contract system.

Mr Mahisar, who is also the chairman of the All Sindh Tajir Convention's action committee, further demanded that the chief minister and the governor should take notice of the matter.