IAS Officer Faces Criticism for Mocking Girl’s Request for Sanitary Napkins
Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, a senior IAS officer and chairperson-cum-MD of the Women and Child Development Corporation (WCDC), sparked controversy after mocking a poor schoolgirl’s request for affordable sanitary napkins. The incident occurred during a workshop titled “Sashakt Beti, Samridh Bihar: Towards Enhancing the Value of Girls in Bihar”, organized in partnership with international NGOs on September 27.
During the event, a schoolgirl asked, “Can’t the government provide us affordable sanitary napkins costing ₹20-₹30 per pack?” In response, Bamhrah said, “Is there any end to such demands? Tomorrow, you might ask for jeans, then beautiful shoes, and eventually, for family planning, you could ask the government for condoms too.”
Feeling humiliated, the girl stated she might not vote for the government in future elections. To this, Bamhrah retorted, “Don’t vote then! The government is yours. This is sheer stupidity! No need to vote.”
Her comments have drawn widespread criticism. Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni expressed his disapproval, saying, “She was supposed to uplift the morale of the girls but instead discouraged them. This is unacceptable.” Sahni added that suppressing valid demands would discourage people from raising important issues with the government.
The minister emphasized that the Bihar government has already taken significant steps to empower women, including granting reservations for women in panchayat bodies and government jobs. He assured that the matter would be discussed with his department secretary to address the situation.
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