Chennai: The State Human Rights Commission has directed Additional Director General of Police, Prisons, Chennai, to file a report in two weeks on steps taken by the department to issue sanitary napkins to women inmates in prisons across the state.
Initiating suo motu proceeding based on recent visit of the Judge D Jayachandran to Central Prison, Tiruchy, the Judge directed ADGP to file detailed status report whether the sanitary napkins are provided regularly to the inmates in the prison in the State.
The judge also directed Deputy Director of Health Services, Tiruchy, and Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Chennai, to appear before the commission on May 15 for an enquiry.
According to sources, on Friday, Judge Jayachandran had conducted surprise inspection at Special Prison for Women, Tiruchy. A total of 98 women are incarcerated in the prison. While interacting with them about the facilities provided to them in the jail, the women prisoners lodged several complaints.
They informed the judge that the jail authorities had not issued sanitary napkins from November 2016.
The Superintendent, (incharge), Special Prison for Women, Tiruchy, and doctor at prison clinic, replied that despite repeated request from them, the Deputy Director of Health Services, Tiruchy, and Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Chennai, had not issued the napkins to the women.
As a result, the women faced severe hardship and mental agony. It is the duty of the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Chennai, to issue the napkins to them free of cost. The inaction of official is deprecated.
Hence the commission is constrained to take action against the health department officials.
