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Delhi High Court, (File image: Dynamite News)
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi police to install sanitary pad vending machines at all police stations in the capital for women personnel and to provide them with exclusive washrooms. The High Court has ordered the Commissioner of Police to survey all police stations within six weeks to check the update on the order regarding installation of these facilities.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said that, based on the survey report, the police must take significant steps to ensure that every police station in the National Capital has a sanitary pad vending machine and an exclusive washroom for female personnel. The matter has been listed for hearing on September 23, and the court has sought an affidavit from the police detailing the steps taken.
The court passed the order while issuing notice to the Centre, the Delhi government and the police on a petition seeking basic menstrual hygiene and sanitation facilities at the Police Station for female officers.
The High Court said, "Based on the report of the survey, appropriate steps shall be taken by the police to provide each police station with the facility of a sanitary pad vending machine and also an exclusive washroom for women personnel," and added, "We require the Commissioner of Police to get a survey conducted of all police stations in Delhi... The survey shall be conducted in six weeks."
The petition was filed by NGO Justice for Rights Foundation; the NGO said these are basic infrastructure for female officers working in Delhi Police and this is indispensable to the constitutional mandate under Article 21, as it forms an indispensable facet of the right to live with dignity, health, privacy, and a humane environment at the workplace.
