Thursday, December 1 2005 16:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: On the occasion of AIDS awareness day, a Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M) member in Lok Sabha today (Dec 1,2005) advocated free distribution of condoms at highway eateries and to sex workers and opening counseling centers throughout the country to curb the spread the disease which has acquired epidemic proportions in the country.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Jyotirmoyee Sikdar said special monitoring cells should be set up at the Center and the States levels to deal with this issue.

She said people have lot of misconceptions about the disease, which should be removed through health education.

In other issues raised during zero hour, Prabhunath Singh, Janata Dal (JD) United (U), pressed for inclusion of Bhojpuri language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta, CPI, said there was smuggling of huge quantities of limestone and coal in Jharkhand badly affecting the poor people and sought immediate intervention by the Center, saying the State Government had been unable to initiate steps to check this smuggling.

Anantrao Gudhe, Shiv Sena, highlighted the problems faced by farmers and asked the Government to take urgent steps to ameliorate their condition.