The Maharashtra government has announced a scheme under which women in the below poverty line (BPL) category and those part of self help groups (SHGs) will be provided 10 sanitary napkins at ₹1.
The order, which was issued by state Rural Development Department minister Hasan Mushrif on Saturday, will be implemented from August 15 this year and will benefit 60 lakh women in rural areas of Maharashtra. The decision was taken to mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day on Saturday.
“The decision will help rural women below the poverty line (BPL). At present, girls below the age of 19 can avail six sanitary napkins at ₹6. But now, all women in the BPL segment will be benefited. A machine for disposal of sanitary napkins will be set up in each village,” Mushrif said.
The implementation of the scheme will cost the state government ₹200 crore annually, the minister said