SHIMLA: With several educational institutions not submitting a status report regarding installation of sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators for disposal of used napkins, the director (higher education) has sent a reminder to the deputy directors of higher education besides principals of all the government and private colleges, requesting them to ensure compliance.
Hearing the matter on May 13, the Himachal Pradesh high court had fixed July 24 as the next date of hearing.
Director (higher education) Amarjeet K Sharma in his letter dated July 18 has directed the deputy directors to issue strict necessary instructions to all the heads of private schools under their jurisdiction to install sanitary napkins incinerators in their schools and to submit the compliance report so that reply could be filed in the high court.
In a similar letter to principals of all the government and private colleges, he said the directorate had several letters on different dates with direction to take necessary steps for the installation of sanitary napkin incinerators out of available institution funds and to send the compliance report within 15 days, but the required information is still awaited.
Directions were issued to install the sanitary napkin incinerators within two days.
During the last hearing on May 13, the HC had observed that state government needs to revisit the entire planning and submit a fresh proposal to the Government of India and for this purpose, the state government should submit its comprehensive requirement to the appropriate ministry, who in turn was directed to consider the same and take a decision before the next date of hearing.
Sharma said tenders to install sanitary napkin incinerators in 1,750 government schools in the rural areas have already been floated while maximum government and private colleges have submitted their compliance.
He said a few who have not complied due to paucity of funds have been issued strict instructions to comply with the court directions.
During the last hearing on May 13, two status reports, one on behalf of the ministry of health and family welfare and other by the additional chief secretary (health) to the government of Himachal Pradesh were filed.