Rlys to provide condoms, sanitary pads for ₹1
NEW DELHI: Sanitary pads and condoms priced at ₹1 will soon be available soon at every railway station of the country, said railway officials on Monday.
The move is in line with the Railway’s plans to use corporate funding for building toilets at over 8,500 stations across the country.
Although, most railway stations already have toilets inside, this proposal calls for toilets outside the station so that even non-travelling public from the area can use them.
“Railways have decided to utilise the station premises to set up facilities having separate toilets for men and women which will be utilized to build awareness for best practices of menstrual hygiene and usage of contraceptives. Each station will have two such facilities — one outside the station in the circulating area and another inside the station so that they can be used by people visiting stations and also those living around them free of cost,” said a railway official.
The Railway department will give out the land for the toilet and will invite corporate companies to manage and operate the facility. The company will be required to provide condoms and sanitary pads at not more than ₹1.
“Due to a lack of proper sanitation facilities in and around station premises, people living in the immediate vicinity, especially nearby slums and villages, are often found defecating in the open and urinating in station premises... Each facility will have separate toilets for men, women and Divyangjans with a provision of both Indian/ Western style commodes in toilets,” the officer added.
The Railway board has approved the proposal for the projects and zonal railway swill soon started issuing tenders, said the officer.