The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) today staged a protest at the state Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) here for failing to ensure installation of sanitary napkins vending machines in engineering colleges.
A directive issued by Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Department in November 2014 had asked the DTE to ensure installation of sanitary napkins vending machines in every engineering college in the state.
"Earlier, the National Commission for Women had issued guidelines to all schools and colleges to install sanitary napkins vending machines. The initiative was undertaken to safeguard woman's right to health, hygiene and self-esteem," MNS General Secretary Shalini Thackeray said.
"Taking a cue from these guidelines, the State Higher and Technical Education Department on November 20, 2014 and the DTE on December 5, 2014 had issued directives to all aided and unaided technical and professional educational institutions to install sanitary napkins vending machines on their campuses," she said.
Thackeray further claimed that until now only two engineering colleges have followed the directive.
Meanwhile, DTE Director S K Mahajan said, "In the coming months, active steps would be taken towards the installation of sanitary napkins vending machines in all educational institutions which come under it.
