Lok Sabha Question No. 3309 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-16
Subject: Suvidha Sanitary Napkins
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3309 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16 th   March,  2021

## Suvidha Sanitary Napkins

## 3309. SHRI RAM MOHAN NAIDU KINJARAPU:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) the measures taken by the Government to increase awareness among the public regarding the availability of Suvidha sanitary napkins at subsidized prices at Janaushadhi Kendras;
- (b) whether the Government has any plan to increase the production of Suvidha sanitary napkins and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of safeguards being observed to maintain quality standards in respect of Suvidha sanitary napkins;
- (d) the details of units/centres established for availability of suvidha napkins, State-wise including in Andhra Pradesh; and
- (e) the details of units/centres established for availability of suvidha napkins in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI D.V. SADANANADA GOWDA)

(a)  Janaushadhi  Suvidha  Oxo-Biodegradable  Sanitary  Napkin  Suvidha  sanitary  napkins  were introduced under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) @ Rs. 2.50 per pad in the year 2018. The price per pad has since been reduced to Rs.1/-. Till date, more than 11 crore  pads  have  been  sold  at  more  than  7,500  Pradhan  Mantri  Bhartiya  Janaushadhi  Kendras (PMBJKs). The awareness about the Scheme, including Janaushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkins, is spread through advertisements in Print, Radio, TV, Cinema halls as well as outdoor publicity like Hoardings, Bus Queue Shelter branding, Bus branding, Auto wrapping, etc. The social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. are also widely used for spreading awareness.

- (b) The government is geared up to meet the demand of sanitary napkins throughout the country. Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), the implementing agency of PMBJP has entered into rate contract with four vendors for procurement of approx. 15 crore pads per annum. This quantity is tentative and can be increased as per the demand of Suvidha Sanitary Napkins.
- (c)   Janaushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins are environmentally friendly.  These pads are made with  Oxo-biodegradable  material  complying  with  ASTM  D-6954  (biodegradability  test) standards and pH of absorbent material complying with IS:5405-1980 standards.
- (d)  Suvidha Sanitary Napkins are available in all Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) functional across the country including Andhra Pradesh.   As on 10 th March, 2021, 7507 PMBJKs are functional covering all the districts of the country.  State/UT- wise list of PMBJKs functional is enclosed as Annexure .
- (e)  As on 10 th March, 2021, 4 PMBJKs are functional in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. Suvidha Sanitary Napkins are available for sale in these Kendras.

## Annexure

Statement referred to in Reply to part (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 3309 for 16.03.2021 raised by SHRI RAM MOHAN NAIDU KINJARAPU regarding Suvidha Sanitary Napkins

| State/UT wise list of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras functional across the country as on 10.03.2021   | State/UT wise list of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras functional across the country as on 10.03.2021   | State/UT wise list of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras functional across the country as on 10.03.2021   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                                            | Name of the State/UT                                                                                               | Number of PMBJK functional                                                                                         |
| 1                                                                                                                  | Andaman &Nicobar                                                                                                   | 1                                                                                                                  |
| 2                                                                                                                  | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                     | 178                                                                                                                |
| 3                                                                                                                  | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                  | 28                                                                                                                 |
| 4                                                                                                                  | Assam                                                                                                              | 77                                                                                                                 |
| 5                                                                                                                  | Bihar                                                                                                              | 222                                                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                                                  | Chandigarh                                                                                                         | 7                                                                                                                  |
| 7                                                                                                                  | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                       | 229                                                                                                                |
| 8                                                                                                                  | Delhi                                                                                                              | 291                                                                                                                |
| 9                                                                                                                  | Goa                                                                                                                | 9                                                                                                                  |
| 10                                                                                                                 | Gujarat                                                                                                            | 508                                                                                                                |
| 11                                                                                                                 | Haryana                                                                                                            | 200                                                                                                                |
| 12                                                                                                                 | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                   | 58                                                                                                                 |
| 13                                                                                                                 | Jammu And Kashmir                                                                                                  | 90                                                                                                                 |
| 14                                                                                                                 | Jharkhand                                                                                                          | 70                                                                                                                 |
| 15                                                                                                                 | Karnataka                                                                                                          | 868                                                                                                                |
| 16                                                                                                                 | Kerala                                                                                                             | 744                                                                                                                |
| 17                                                                                                                 | Ladakh                                                                                                             | 3                                                                                                                  |
| 18                                                                                                                 | Lakshadweep*                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                                  |
| 19                                                                                                                 | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                     | 216                                                                                                                |
| 20                                                                                                                 | Maharashtra                                                                                                        | 566                                                                                                                |
| 21                                                                                                                 | Manipur                                                                                                            | 32                                                                                                                 |
| 22                                                                                                                 | Meghalaya                                                                                                          | 14                                                                                                                 |
| 23                                                                                                                 | Mizoram                                                                                                            | 22                                                                                                                 |
| 24                                                                                                                 | Nagaland                                                                                                           | 15                                                                                                                 |
| 25                                                                                                                 | Odisha                                                                                                             | 267                                                                                                                |
| 26                                                                                                                 | Puducherry                                                                                                         | 16                                                                                                                 |
| 27                                                                                                                 | Punjab                                                                                                             | 275                                                                                                                |
| 28                                                                                                                 | Rajasthan                                                                                                          | 114                                                                                                                |
| 29                                                                                                                 | Sikkim                                                                                                             | 3                                                                                                                  |
| 30                                                                                                                 | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                         | 773                                                                                                                |
| 31                                                                                                                 | Telangana                                                                                                          | 141                                                                                                                |
| 32                                                                                                                 | The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu                                                                       | 31                                                                                                                 |

| 33          | Tripura       |   24 |
|-------------|---------------|------|
| 34          | Uttar Pradesh | 1058 |
| 35          | Uttarakhand   |  201 |
| 36          | West Bengal   |  156 |
| Grand Total | Grand Total   | 7507 |