Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday launched the Swechha programme which aims at the health and hygiene of adolescent girls studying in government schools and colleges by providing quality sanitary napkins at free of cost.
Speaking on this occasion, the Chief Minister said that many reports stated that almost 23 percent of the young girls in this country are staying away from attending schools and colleges during menstruation.
In order to change these circumstances, the State government has been taking measures right from improving toilets in all government institutions under the Nadu-Nedu initiative to bringing the Swechha programme.
He said that under this initiative, awareness on menstruation will be created for the students studying between class 7-12, once in every month by women teachers, ANMS and women police. Apart from this, awareness on Disha App and Disha Act would also be given by the women police and Joint Collector (Aasara) would be monitoring the orientation programmes and a women teacher will be appointed as a nodal officer.
“The State government will be providing quality sanitary napkins to over 10 lakh students studying between 7-12 classes at a cost of Rs 32 crore, where each student will be receiving 120 napkins every year. The students will also be taught on proper disposal of sanitary pads, where separate dustbins and 6417 incinerators have been provided under CLAP programme”, Mr Reddy informed.
The Chief Minister said that the State is leading in Women Empowerment, where these sanitary napkins will be sold at Cheyutha shops at affordable rates. The government initiated Nadu-Nedu and revamped all the toilets in 56,703 schools and hostels by constructing them with running water facilities.
In the first phase, 15,715 schools have been renovated and all the remaining schools will be completed by 2023.
Later, during the event, he released a poster on Swechha programme.
Ministers Thaneti Vanita, Adimulapu Suresh, Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, Women and Child Welfare Principal Secretary AR Anuradha and Social Welfare Principal Secretary K Sunitha were among those who were present. (UNI)