Chandigarh, November 20, 2025: Punjab has become the first state in the country to spend ₹54 crore on providing high-quality, biodegradable sanitary pads, marking a dramatic shift from the paper-only approach of previous governments. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s ‘Navi Disha’ scheme has emerged as one of India’s most successful women-centric health interventions — rooted in dignity, reliability and transparency.
Under the scheme, 13.65 lakh women receive nine premium-quality pads every month, monitored through a real-time digital system that eliminates leakage, stock-outs and irregularities. Distribution through 27,313 Anganwadi centres ensures timely access even in remote areas.
The earlier ‘Udaan’ scheme, run by the previous Congress government, cost around ₹40.55 crore a year, but women frequently complained of “poor quality, smell and infections”. “Those pads were useless — money was spent only on paper, not on women,” said one beneficiary.
In contrast, women describe the Mann government’s pads as soft, safe and 100% biodegradable, bringing comfort and dignity that had long been missing.
The investment of ₹53 crore in a single year reflects both scale and sincerity, health officials said, calling Punjab’s model one of the most structured and transparent in the country.
States like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, MP and Rajasthan still struggle with low hygiene rates, supply interruptions or inconsistent implementation. Punjab, the officials said, has “created a smooth, dependable system that other states are studying.”
Gurpreet Kaur, a beneficiary from rural Punjab, said, “Earlier we felt ashamed and couldn’t go to work. Now the Anganwadi sister brings pads every month. Mann sahab solved our small but big problem.”
Officials said Punjab’s model proves that when intention is clear, women’s health can be transformed. For countless women, Navi Disha represents not just convenience but safety, dignity and a new direction.
