Sanitary napkins to be sold for Re 1 at Jan Aushadhi stores
New Delhi: In a massive push for women hygiene, the government will slash price of sanitary napkins sold from its Jan Aushadhi Kendras to just Re 1 per piece from Rs 2.50 currently.
The biodegradable sanitary napkins 'Suvidha' will be available at the subsidised price at designated centres from August 27, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya told PTI in an interview here.
The pads are sold in a pack of four which currently cost Rs 10. These from Tuesday will be priced for Rs 4 only, he said.
"We are launching oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins at Re 1 from tomorrow. These napkins under the brand name Suvidha will be available at 5,500 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country," Mandaviya said.
With reduction of prices by 60 per cent, he said, Modi-led government has fulfilled the promise made by the BJP in its manifesto for 2019 general elections.
"Currently, the manufacturers are supplying the sanitary napkins at their cost of production. So, we will provide subsidy to bring down the retail price," Mandaviya said, who is also Minister of State (Independent charge) for Shipping.
On being asked about the total annual expenditure on the subsidy, the minister said it will depend on the sales volume.
He said the sanitary napkins scheme was announced in March 2018 and those were made available in the Jan Aushadhi Kendras from May 2018.
"During the last one year, around 2.2 crore sanitary napkins have been sold from these stores. With reduction in the prices, we expect the sales to jump over two times. We are focusing on quality, affordability and accessibility," Mandaviya added.
At a time when average market price of a sanitary napkin is between Rs 6-8, this will give a major boost for empowering the women of India, he added.
The government will take steps to ensure that there is no diversion of these subsidised sanitary napkins, he added.
According to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16, about 58 per cent of women aged between 15 to 24 years use locally prepared napkins, sanitary napkins and tampons, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers had earlier said in a statement.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
