Facing criticism, PMC to distribute sanitary napkins through CSR
After Congress and AAP raised objection and staged agitations, PMC to cancel the tender process for purchasing sanitary napkins for girls of municipal schools and make it available under CSR fund
PUNE: After the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised objection and staged agitations, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to cancel the tender process for purchasing sanitary napkins for girls of municipal schools and make it available under the CSR (corporate social responsibility) fund.
Vikas Dangat, PMC additional municipal commissioner, said on Thursday, “PMC is cancelling the existing tendering process for procuring sanitary napkins and will make it available under CSR fund.”
Every year, PMC distributes free sanitary napkins to at least 38,000 girls studying at PMC-run schools. However, the facility was discontinued since last two years as PMC was unable to allot the contract mainly because of political tussle.
According to Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde, PMC could not complete the tender process as some political leaders are forcing to give the order to some specific contractors.
Shinde along with his party colleague Sangeeta Tiwari on Wednesday said, “Due to pressure from some leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the municipal administration is not able to finalise the tender process. The BJP leaders are putting pressure for their favourite contractors. If the administration tries to approve one contractor, another BJP leader creates a hurdle.”
Earlier in the day, the AAP also staged an agitation against the municipal commissioner regarding the distribution of sanitary napkins to girls. The party’s women wing workers placed sanitary napkins on the civic chief’s official car at the PMC headquarters. Later, PMC filed a police case against the AAP workers.