State takes steps to set up sanitary napkin making units in all dists
‘Make arrangements for identification of Mahasangha or Sangha Samabay for setting up the units’;
With the state government intending to establish sanitary napkin production units in every district through SHG institutions, the state Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department has instructed the District Magistrates to make necessary arrangements for identification of one potential Mahasangha/ Sangha Samabay for establishing such units. Secretary of P&RD department P. Ulaganathan has also asked the DMs and District Mission Director to map the government hospitals in coordination with the superintendents of the hospitals and CMOH (Chief Medical Officer of Health) office where the supply of sanitary napkin can be planned.
A senior official of P & RD department said that necessary convergence with state Health & Family Welfare (H &FW) department is necessary for starting the initiative. The units will produce sanitary napkins for labour rooms as well as for adolescent girls aged 10-19 years in convergence with H & FW department.
“Subsequently, the initiative may further be expanded by establishment of machines for production of commercial sanitary napkins. The required fund and training for setting up such units would be provided on behalf of WBSRLM(West Bengal State Rural Livelihood Mission),” the official said.
He added that the purpose of the initiative is to empower the SHGs more and gradually ensure that the requirement of sanitary napkins in the government sector can come from such production units run by the SHGs.
The state also has future plans of making uniforms of nurses and civic police by involving the SHGs.
The P &RD secretary has also enclosed a format along with instructions regarding identification of sanitary napkin production units which should be filled up and submitted to the department by February 27.
Chief Secretary H.K Dwivedi held a review meeting to take stock of SHG formation, credit linkage,
livelihood activities of SHG under the Anandadhara project on February 7 where instructions were given so that each district select one SHG Sangha Cooperative/ Mahasangha for establishment of sanitary napkin unit.