In a bid to raise awareness on menstrual hygiene and to promote the use of stary napkins, Nandprayag Nagar panchayat on Wednesday installed a stary pad vending machine in the town.
Stary napkins can be dispensed from the vending machine by paying a nominal amount of Rs 1 per pad.
Speaking to , chairperson of the panchayat, Him Vaishnav, said that 80 per cent of the women in the town are poor and as a result cannot afford to buy pads.
She added, "Women in this town are less aware about the usage of napkins. They feel reluctant to buy it from shops as menstruation is still a taboo subject here. Taking into consideration all these things, we have installed a vending machine, from which they can take out as many pads as they want by paying just Rs 1 for each pad."
She further said that through the initiative, she also aims to serve pilgrims who pass through the town on their way to the Badrinath Temple.
Elated by the initiative, a school going girl said: "As a woman, the chairperson of the Nagar Panchayat understood the hardship faced by us. Earlier, we used to get the packet for Rs 30-50, but now we get it for Rs 1 per pad."
( With inputs from ANI )