Indian Railways to provide bio-degradable pads in 8,000 stations

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said he wants to run a campaign, ensuring that all women are provided with the benefit of bio-degradable sanitary pads in rural areas.

"We should run a campaign across the country to ensure all women get the benefit of such pads. We have to get economies of scale. We should produce these on a large scale and instead of the expensive pads produced by big companies; women can get it for Rs 1-Rs 1.5," said Goyal.

Goyal was attending the event and was speaking on the 'Relevance of Economic Philosophy of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in Today's World' as part of the RSS ideologue's birth centenary celebrations.

Speaking on the campaign, Goyal asserted that he wanted to run a campaign to ensure that every woman in India had access to sanitary pads.

"I have started speaking with Manekaji (Maneka Gandhi) on the issue," he said.

The Railway Minister also said that he was exploring the possibility of facilitating manufacturing units for cheap and bio-degradable sanitary pads at 8,000 railway stations of the country.

"The railways will help as much as possible, be it providing manufacturing facility on railway stations...such pads can be manufactured on 8,000 locations," he said.

Goyal further emphasised that self-help groups can manufacture such pads.

"Women themselves can make them in hygienic conditions. Railway stations have terraces where they can work. Machines used for the purpose are also not that expensive," he added.

Goyal also said the aim should be to provide women a benefit for Rs 100 annually.

"Even if there are three women in the house, the expense is 80 paisa per day for this. Most households will be able to afford it," he said.

On February 20, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi launched a menstrual hygiene campaign.

The objective of the campaign called "#Yes I Bleed" is to create a holistic approach to the issue of menstruation, which is an experience that transcends culture, class, and caste.