Congress promises free sanitary pads for Gujarat's girl students

December 06, 2017 17:37

The Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students in Gujarat free of cost by abolishing GST if voted to power, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev announced in Vadodara today.

Dev also attacked the Narendra Modi government for imposing "12 per cent" GST on sanitary napkins, which she said "runs contrary" to the government's "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign for girls.

"Imposition of 12 per cent GST on sanitary napkins is a big shocker for poor girls and women. The Modi government did not slash the tax (on sanitary napkins) despite demands raised by various NGOs and women's group though it reduced the tax on other items," Dev said while addressing reporters.

The campaigning for the first phase of polls, slated for December 9, will end tomorrow.

If voted to power, Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students of schools and colleges in the state free of cost, she said.

Dev said not reducing the GST on sanitary napkins is "contradictory" to the "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign of the Central government.

"At one end, the government is promoting healthier menstrual hygiene practices among girls and women while on the other hand they are increasing the cost of sanitary napkins," said Dev, who represents Silchar seat in Assam.

She said the imposition of 12 per cent GST on sanitary pads is a "regressive move in the menstrual health discourse", which will take a toll on health of poor girls and women who lack the access to sanitary napkins.

Dev sought to link the "rising girls school dropout ratio in Gujarat" with costlier sanitary pads.

"I am afraid that higher price (of sanitary pads) on account of GST might push girls back to adopting unhygienic menstrual practices," the Congress leader said.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.

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