Rajasthan Govt sanctions Rs 200 cr for free sanitary napkins

Menstrual health is a subject that most women are hesitant to speak in public. Women and girls, belonging to poor families cannot afford to purchase sanitary pads and resort to using unhygienic menstrual products, which have been associated with urogenital infections and other diseases.

Keeping that in mind, the Rajasthan Government has made a provision of Rs 200 crore in the 2022-2023 state budget to provide free sanitary napkins to women and girls.

Giving information on the same, Rajasthan Women and Child Development Minister Mamta Bhupesh said that ‘I Am Shakti Udan' scheme is being implemented in the state in a phased manner. She informed the assembly that Rajasthan is the first state in the country to adopt such a scheme on a large scale.

The Minister informed that the budgetary provision of Rs 200 crore has been made in the financial year 2022-23 for the scheme. She further said that the supply orders have been issued to provide free sanitary napkins to over 1.15 crore beneficiaries at as many as 60,361 Anganwadi centres and 6.48 lakh girls in 34,104 government schools.

Bhupesh further informed that the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) has distributed free sanitary pads to 26,220 schools in 31 districts, and 31,255 Anganwadi centres in 23 districts in the last one year. A total of Rs 104.78 crore has been spent by Corporation for the purpose.