DEHRADUN: While campaigns asking for exemption of the 12% GST on sanitary napkins is gaining momentum across the country, the Uttarakhand department of woman and child development (WCD) has decided to install vending machines across 20,000 anganwadi centres in the state for dispensing sanitary napkins. To initiate the process, a sanitary napkin production machine has been given to the district administration of Tehri and soon vending machines will be installed in different locations across the state. In addition, women will also be educated about menstrual hygiene, a subject which is often swept under the rug in Indian societies. Officials informed that napkins will be made available for as low as Rs 2 per pad.“Our aim is to break this taboo surrounding menstruation, especially among people in the hills. One way to unshackle conservative ideas is to make sanitary napkins easily available for women across rural areas and by making pads openly available rather than keeping these under wraps. All the 20,000 anganwadis will have designated areas where vending machines will be installed. Front workers will also be asked to educate women about menstruation and the benefits of using napkins,” said Rekha Arya, Uttarakhand minister for women and child development.According to officials at the WCD department, the programme titled Sanitary Napkin was mooted two-three years ago and a budget to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore was proposed. The BJP government now wants the project to speed up and the budget is also likely to increase up to Rs 7 crore.Several other cities such as Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have similar projects run by self-help groups (SHGs).“Women in urban areas are more aware of menstrual hygiene. But those in rural areas, with lesser accessibility, availability and affordability, are forced to depend on traditional methods during their periods,” said a senior official present at a meeting at the WCH department on Thursday, who did not wish to be named.The health department also runs another programme, under the Centre’s Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) initiative, under which school going girls are provided sanitary napkins by ASHA workers at a nominal price of Rs 6 for 10 napkins. According to reports, the health department has earned a revenue of around Rs 46 lakh in 2017-18 through the ARSH initiative.