Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur announced on Monday that the state Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has approved a complete restructuring of the free sanitary napkin distribution programme, now renamed the “Navi Dishaa Scheme”. The initiative aims to ensure reliable, consistent and transparent delivery of menstrual hygiene support to women across the state.
Under the revamped system, each eligible woman will receive nine sanitary napkins every month, distributed through anganwadi centres. With an estimated benchmark of 50 beneficiaries per centre, the scheme targets 13,65,700 women every month with plans to further expand coverage so that no eligible woman is left out. The state government has sanctioned ₹53 crore for the implementation of the improved scheme.
Dr Kaur said the redesigned structure introduces strict guidelines for procurement, transportation, distribution, monitoring and quality testing to eliminate gaps and prevent irregularities. The scheme also offers incentives to anganwadi workers to strengthen on-ground delivery.
To enhance transparency, the government will deploy IT tools, mobile apps and digital dashboards that capture real-time data on scheme execution. Additionally, a strong IEC (information, education & communication) campaign will educate women and adolescent girls about menstrual hygiene and overall health. Dr Baljit Kaur said the programme will undergo a comprehensive review after two years to assess progress and make further improvements.
Also read: Punjab to roll out health card scheme on Sept 23
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