On Women’s Day (March 8), the central government announced with much fanfare it would soon introduce inexpensive sanitary pads.

Suvidha oxo-biodegradable sanitary pads were to be marketed under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana, and become available at Jan Aushadi stores from May 28, World Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Sachin Kumar Singh, chief executive officer of Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), says, “We wanted to launch it as announced but due to quality checks and the minister’s dates not being available, the new date of launch will be announced in June.”

The team is currently testing each packet for quality, he says. “About 40,000 packets have already been tested. We hope to make that one lakh by June,” Singh told Metrolife.

The pads will be available at Rs 2.50 a piece in packs of four. The plan is to make them accessible to women who can’t afford branded ones that cost at least five times as much.

Dr Anila B, senior marketing officer of Bureau of Pharma PSUs, says, “We plan to launch it in four kendras of Bengaluru – NR Colony, Nagasandra Circle, Yelahanka and Prakash Nagar government hospital.”

The Karnataka government plans to open Jan Aushadi outlets in all 200 of its hospitals in the state. There are 85 Jan Aushadi outlets open now.

Well-known government hospitals like Bowring and Victoria have Jana Sanjivini outlets funded by the state government.

“Jan Aushadi is a central government project and offers 100 percent generic medicines,” says Anila.