The state government of Tripura on Wednesday approved the proposal to provide free sanitary napkins to all girls from classes 6 to 12. Tripura Education Minister Ratanlal Nath made the announcement.
This new scheme is referred to as 'Kishori Suchita Abhiyan'. Under this project, a total of 1,68,252 schoolgirls are to be provided with sanitary napkins. The estimated investment by the state for the scheme is Rs 3,61,63,248. The initial target is set for a period of three years.
While addressing the secretariat, Minister said, "To enhance female menstrual hygiene, the Tripura Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval for providing free sanitary napkins among all school girls from class 6 to 12."
"The state education department has also adopted the 'Policy On School bag 2020' in accordance with the guideline of the Department of School Education and Literacy of Education Ministry," Nath added.
Other such efforts
In a recent event to create menstrual hygiene awareness in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has instituted a period room for women in the city toilet.
In 2018, in a bid to make sanitary napkins accessible to all, Kerala government launched “She Pad." In the same year, Municipal schools in Pune also got sanitary napkin disposal units installed in their premises.
On COVID situation in Tripura
While speaking about the COVID-19 situation in the state, he said that the state is fast improving. There were only five patients undergoing treatment at the Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital. Meanwhile, 32 people are under home isolation.
There have been no report of deaths due to the virus in the state in the last four days. Further, 4269 healthcare workers have already been vaccinated under the first phase of the vaccination drive. No report of any side effects have been reported from these workers in the state too.