Patna: Raising strong voice against the remarks of IAS officer Harjot Kaur, Chairperson cum Managing Director of Women Child Development Corporation (WCDC) during a programme, Bihar chapter of Association of Preventive and Social Medicine ( IAPSM ) demanded unconditional apology from her and requested the government to appoint officers sensitive towards their duty.
Condemning the remarks of Harjot Kaur, state President of IAPSM Community Medicine, IGIMS Patna, Sanjay Kumar, Prof. Head, Department of Community Medicine, IGIMS Patna, said that he was shocked to see a senior and responsible IAS officer passing such comment at a forum meant for addressing the health and welfare issues of young girls.
It may be recalled that a video clip of a workshop was viral in social and print media in which the girls asked Harjot Kaur "if the government could provide them with sanitary pads at affordable rates of Rs.20-30". To this the IAS officer said "there is no end to such demands. Today you are asking for sanitary pad tomorrow there will be another demand to provide free jeans, then nice shoes and also condoms for family planning".
"It was unfortunate that such a deplorable comment has come from an officer who is herself a woman who is expected to understand such issues better than her male counterparts, Dr Kumar quipped.
IAPSM State Secretary Dr. Setu Sinha, a senior faculty member at IGIMS said that such comments not only reflects the ignorance of the bureaucrat about the existing provisions to provide free condoms and sanitary pads under various government like Family Planning, National AIDS Control Programme and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, but also belittles the efforts of all the stakeholders who have been engaged in awareness and
relevant activities to promote the sexual and reproductive rights of the citizens.
Meanwhile, taking serious note of the comments of the IAS officer Harjot Kaur, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar assured to initiate against the officer.
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