Gujarat govt to provide packet of 6 sanitary pads at Re 1

In a bid to promote menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls, the Gujarat government, on Wednesday, announced that it will provide a packet of six sanitary napkins at a rate of Re 1 to all girls in the age group of 10-19 under the ‘Taruni Suvidha Programme’.

The scheme was earlier effective in just four districts, but has now been extended to the entire state. Around 40 lakh girls from Gujarat are likely to get benefit under the scheme.

State health minister Shri Nitin Patel said the decision has been taken by Chief Minister Smt Anandiben Patel while keeping note of the fact that girls from poor and middle-class families were not using sanitary napkins during their menstrual periods, thereby leading to health issues. The programme will be implemented all over the state in a phased manner this year.

Earlier, the Gujarat government was providing a packet of six sanitary napkins to girls of four districts at the rate of Rs 6 per packet. Now, instead of that, the packets will be provided in all the districts of Gujarat at a nominal cost of Re 1 per packet.

The napkins will be provided to all the girls studying in schools and colleges. Girls who do not study, will receive napkins by ASHA workers. Accredited social health activists (ASHAs) is community of health workers instituted by the government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The ASHAs are local women trained to act as health educators and promoters in their communities.

Gujarat Government has also, in its budget for 2016-17, granted 100 percent tax exemption on sanitary napkins.