Around 7.5 lakh adolescent girl students studying in Delhi government-run schools will get sanitary napkins free of cost from Thursday. The unique scheme,a brainchild of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and launched by her today,aims to ensure that attendance of girl students do not suffer due to hygiene-related issues. Each girl studying in Class VI to XIIth standard in 729 schools will get a pack of 10 napkins monthly to be supplied by leading FMCG firm Johnson and Johnson. The scheme,named 'Kishori' will cost city government around Rs 13 crore annually. "It is a humble attempt of my government to share the responsibility to make life easy and more comfortable for the daughters of this city. Because once a girl child is comfortable with the issues of hygiene,health and privacy,she can devote her fulsome attention to the studies," Dikshit said. "The lack of information and access to affordable options to maintain basic hygiene during difficult days every month not only affects health of a girl child,but also results in bacterial infection leading to cervical cancer. This is one way of combating cervical cancer also," she said. This is a first of its kind scheme in the country exclusively dedicated for the school girls. The Tamil Nadu government had launched a scheme to provide sanitary napkins free of cost to rural girls and women. Noting that ensuring overall welfare of women was a key priority of her government,she said the initiative is being taken to help girl students hailing from poor families. Dikshit also exhorted the parents and teachers to support the government in implementing such a huge and "broad based scheme in the most effective way."
