ONI Bureau: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today launched ‘Khushi’ scheme to provide free sanitary napkins to girl students from class 6th to 12th in government and aided schools in the State. The move is likely to benefit around 17 lakh girl students across the State.
After the biggest victory of Akshay Kumar starrer padman and a call for the film to be screened in schools and villages to create awareness about sanitary napkins among girls, Odisha Govt decided to provide free sanitary napkins to all girls.
In 2011, Sheila Dikshit Govt had announced free sanitary napkins for girl students from poor families in all government schools. The scheme later lost the way. In February 2018, AAP Govt re-introduced the scheme and made it free for all girl students. Jayalalithaa Govt in Tamil Nadu had also launched the scheme in 2011. Kerala Govt launched the same scheme in November 2017.