PUnion Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday inaugurated the Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins manufacturing and distribution units as a CSR initiative of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) at 100 common service centres (CSCs) across the State.

“New India is not possible without a new Odisha. And a new Odisha is not possible without making 2.25 crore women self-reliant.

Each Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins manufacturing and distribution unit will provide livelihood source to at least 10 families,” Pradhan while addressing a gathering on the occasion.

Pradhan said the oil companies made the idea of establishing napkin manufacturing units to provide jobs to women after considering a Ujjwala LPG beneficiary’s request to the Prime Minister to provide a job to her as she had ample time.

Stating that some have become jealous of success of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Schime, Pradhan said 35 lakh families in the State have now LPG connections and the number would reach 45 lakh families by March 2019.

He said the Nalco has committed to establishing 100 more napkin manufacturing centres in the State.

He expressed hopes that Odisha’s Pitha (cake), handicraft, textile items and sculptor made of stone, wood and  metals can be sold in foreign countries through e-commerce system by the 20,000 common service centres (CSCs) operating in the State. “The CSCs, run by the Union Government, will provide platforms to Odisa entreprenures to boost their financial conditions,” said Pradhan.

He said a mass movement should be created for use of sanitary napkins and to keep women healthy.