New Delhi, August 27: In a huge push for women hygiene, the government on Tuesday slashed price of sanitary napkins sold from its Jan Aushadhi Kendras to just Re 1 per piece from Rs 2.50 earlier. The biodegradable sanitary napkin 'Suvidha' sold in a pack of four are available at the subsidised price in designated centres across the country. "I think that this is one of the greatest achievements that has been done by the Prime Minister Modi for the poor people across the country," Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda said in his address here.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, PM Narendra Modi had assured that within 100 days poor women of the country will be provided sanitary napkins at Re 1. Now, that has become a reality, he added. In similar vein, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya said the government has today launched oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins at Re 1. These napkins under the brand name Suvidha will be available at 5,500 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country.

Empowerment of women has been a key initiative of Modi government, he added. In an interview with PTI on Monday, Mandaviya had said that during the last one year, around 2.2 crore sanitary napkins have been sold from the Jan Aushadhi Kendras. Alappuzha Gives Away 5000 Menstrual Cups to Women to Reduce Sanitary Pad Wastage; Kerala Municipality Sets an Example.

"With reduction in the prices, we expect the sales to jump over two times. We are focusing on quality, affordability and accessibility," he had said. The government also launched Jan Aushadhi Sugam Mobile App for locating Jan Aushadhi stores along with details of generic medicines available in these stores.

Through this app, people they can avail a host of user-friendly options like locating nearby Jan Aushadhi kendra, search Janaushadhi generic medicines, analyse product comparison of generic vs branded medicine in form of maximum retail price (MRP) and overall savings.