Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh HC has issued notice to state govt seeking reply in a petition filed against failure to provide sanitary napkins to adolescent girl students aged between 11-19 years in schools & through door-to-door services in state under Menstrual Hygiene Scheme & other initiatives.

The court of justice SC Sharma & justice Shailendra Shukla passed directions over a petition filed by law student Sheela Swarimuthu. The court listed the matter on May 5.

Petitioner counsel Shanno Shagufta Khan informed court that even though there had been multiple schemes to provide sanitary napkins to adolescent girls to maintain hygiene, they weren’t getting it.

There are two schemes — Menstruation Hygiene Scheme & SABLA — for this purpose in state. Under MHS, ASHA workers are given the task to provide sanitary napkins to girls, which were provided to them for distribution at Rs 6 for six pieces, said Khan.

The distribution has to be done through door to door services, anganwadis or through ASHA workers for awareness of girls about menstrual hygiene, said Khan. However, in a survey carried out by petitioner by interviewing many girls, it was found health workers failed to distribute napkins under MHS, said Khan.