Under the women-empowerment oriented 'Udaan Scheme', the state government would provide free sanitary pads to needy women every month at all 27,314 Anganwadi Centers across the state.The scheme was formally launched by Social Security and Women and Child Development Minister Razia Sultana at Malerkotla recently.Disclosing this here today, Minister Razia Sultana said that a myriad of initiatives have been taken by the government to empower the women in Punjab. Now, 9 Sanitary Pads per month will be provided free of cost to the needy females at all the Anganwadi Centers in the state.In the first phase, about 50 females are being covered at each Anganwadi Center and sanitary pads would be given to 13.65 lakh beneficiaries each month. A total of 1.23 crore pads to be distributed under this scheme every month.
On the occasion, the minister also directed to commence uploading of Santry Pad record Proforma on the M-Seva application.Apart from this, a women's shop has been set up in Malerkotla district, where females can sell indigenous and homemade goods, in a bid to empower the women.Razia Sultana said that the state government was also taking sincere efforts to increase the girl’s sex ratio in Punjab.Under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, the parents of the girls are being honored while the essential goods kits have also been provided to the newborn girls. Minister Sultana herself distributed such kits to 100 newborn girls during a special function at Malerkotla.Director of Social Security and Women and Child Development DPS Kharbanda said that a jingle has been made by the social security department to spread awareness among the people to increase the sex ratio of girls. He said that this informative jingle would be played on various platforms across the state.