Health among three depts to reply on sanitary pad subsidy

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered the secretaries of three government departments, including Health, to appear in person if a reply on the supply of free or subsidised sanitary napkins at ration shops is not filed by December 16.

Advocate Lakshmi Raja, in a Public Interest Litigation, emphasised that hygiene is crucial during menstruation and due to the high price of sanitary napkins, many women, particularly from rural areas and weak economic backgrounds, turn to unhealthy alternatives.

It should be noted that the apex court directed all the state governments to provide free sanitary napkins in schools. When the petitioner sought the Civil Supplies department for information under the Right to Information Act on whether Tamil Nadu had any scheme to provide free or subsidised rate napkins through ration shops, the department replied that no such scheme existed.

The response from the Health department also mentioned only the scheme to provide napkins to schoolgirls, clearly indicating that no scheme for distribution via ration shops is in place, the advocate pointed out.

Hence, the plea sought a direction to supply sanitary napkins either free of cost or at subsidised rates through ration shops to benefit poor and rural women.

When the case came up for hearing before Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, the State sought additional time to file its response.

Stating that even after granting a final extension, the response had not been filed, the CJ ordered that the counter affidavit must be filed by December 16. Failing this, the secretaries of the Social Welfare department, the Civil Supplies department, and the Health department must appear in person. The hearing was then adjourned.