Haryana government has announced to appoint Miss World Manushi Chhillar as Brand Ambassador for its special campaign to be launched to prevent anaemia among women in the state.

This was disclosed by the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while addressing a press conference along with Manushi Chhillar during the International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra on Thursday.

He said that nearly 61 per cent women in the state were suffering from the said disease.

Extending support to the “Shakti Project” campaign being carried out by Manushi Chhillar to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene among girls, the Chief Minister also announced that the state government would make free supply of sanitary napkins in all schools of the state to further promote such projects.

A sum of Rs 18 Crore would be spent on this scheme, he added.

Congratulating Chhillar for her achievement which brought laurels to the state and the nation at the global level, Khattar said it was a matter of pride and happiness that our daughter, after becoming Miss World, had selected International Gita Mahotsav programme for her first visit to Haryana.

Manushi’s answer to the last question “which profession deserves the highest salary and why” paved the way for her to secure the Miss World title, he added.

Speaking on this occasion, Manushi Chhillar said Haryana had given her a lot. Being a medical student of Khanpur Medial College, famous for girls’ education, she had a dream to do something for girls in Haryana.

She also thanked Chairperson of Miss World Organisation, Julia Morley, for giving an opportunity to young girls like her and said this year the award for beauty with purpose had been given to India.

Asked whether she will make her career in medical profession or in Bollywood, Manushi Chhillar said five Indian women had won the Miss World Crown. Out of them, only two had opted to become actresses. It is not necessary to move towards glamour world, she added.

Notably, a political controversy was erupted in Haryana few days ago when former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda advocated cash reward and government job for Chhillar which was sarcastically responded by Khattar.

Subsequently, the duo got engaged in a verbal spat when Hooda took a jibe at Khattar’s unmarried status saying that those who don’t have daughters can’t understand how to honour them.

However, it was strongly condemned by Khattar saying that Hooda during his tenure to curb the social evil of female foeticide which was mainly responsible for the imbalanced sex ratio in the state.