Maharashtra government to provide cheap sanitary pads

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to make sanitary pads available at extremely low rates to women in the state. The new scheme, ‘Asmita’, has been launched with an aim to improve the health of women and girls in rural areas.

Eight small sanitary pads will be made available for Rs 24 while larger-sized pads will cost Rs 29. “Girls studying in zilla parishad schools will be charged Rs 5 per package. The government is also preparing an app for the distribution of the pads in rural areas, an official from the rural development department said.

The Cabinet’s decision was taken in the backdrop of an increase in the dropout rate among schoolgirls. “It was found in a survey that women were not maintaining proper hygiene while menstruating, leading to reproductive complication. Female students between the age group of 11 and 19 also tend to remain absent for 50 to 60 days every year during their menses. With a view to deal with these problems, the department has decided to create awareness among girls and women so that they can have a healthy life,” the official added.     

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted about the scheme and said that it would help the women and girls to maintain personal hygiene. “The Asmita scheme is meant to make affordable sanitary pads available to women and girls in rural areas. This will help them to maintain personal hygiene. The rural development department will act as a nodal agency to provide the sanitary pads to women,” he said.