Free sanitary napkins scheme for Haryana women below poverty line launched. (Representational)
The Haryana government on Wednesday launched a scheme to give a packet of free sanitary napkins to about 22.50 lakh women and girls below the poverty line every month for a year.
A scheme was also started to provide fortified flavoured skimmed milk powder under the ''Mukhya Mantri Doodh Uphar Yojana'' for children aged 1-6 years in anganwadi centres, and pregnant and lactating mothers under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), an official statement said.
It would reach about 9.03 lakh children and 2.95 lakh pregnant and lactating mothers visiting 25,962 anganwadi centres in the state.
Under the ''Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana'', adolescent girls and women between 10 to 45 years of age of below poverty line (BPL) families would be provided free sanitary napkins every month for a year. Each packet would contain six sanitary napkins, it said.
Apart from this, the Education Department has also prepared another scheme under which 6.50 lakh girl students would be provided six sanitary napkins every month.
Speaking after launching these schemes here, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar urged all the deputy commissioners (DCs) to include the ''Mukhya Mantri Doodh Uphar Yojana'' in their flagship programmes and make targeted efforts towards addressing the problem of anaemia and malnutrition among women and children in their respective districts.
On the occasion, the chief minister also distributed packets of skimmed milk powder to five beneficiaries of the ''Mukhya Mantri Doodh Uphar Yojana'', including three children and two pregnant women.
He also distributed packets of free sanitary napkins to some beneficiaries of the ''Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana''.
Packets of skimmed milk powder and sanitary napkins were also distributed simultaneously to the beneficiaries of both the schemes in all the districts of the state who joined the programme through video conferencing, the statement said.
Expressing concern over the problem of malnutrition and anaemia, Khattar said there are a few districts in the state like Nuh, where the problem of anaemia among women and children is comparatively high.
He asked the DCs to ensure effective implementation of the ''Mukhya Mantri Doodh Uphar Yojana'' in their respective districts, saying that the fortified flavoured skimmed milk powder to be distributed under the scheme would play an important role in reducing malnutrition.
This milk would contain nutritious elements like protein, calcium, magnesium, B-12 as well as vitamins-A and D, which would replenish the micro-nutrients and vitamins in the body, the statement said.
Under this scheme, around 200 ml of fragrant skimmed milk would be given per day for six days in a week to the children between 1 and 6 years of age in anganwadi centres and pregnant and lactating mothers.
Mr Khattar said apart from the government, other government organisations and NGOs working in the field of women and child development could also play a vital role in the effective implementation of these schemes at the grassroots level and also encouraging the beneficiaries to take maximum benefit under this scheme.
He said the BJP-led government has been working by focusing on ''4-S'' --''Shiksha (education), Swasthya (health), Suraksha (security) and Swamlamban (self-reliance)''.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Kamlesh Dhanda said the two schemes would not only give a major boost to ''Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'' campaign but also help in addressing the problem of malnutrition among women and children.
She said an amount of Rs 256 crore would be spent on both these schemes.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)