Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government today announced one-day menstrual leave for women employees both in government and private sectors in the state.

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida announced it during the Independence Day celebration in Cuttack.

As per the announcement, women employees in government and private organisations can avail the paid period leave for one day as an optional leave.

With the order that would come into effect very soon, Odisha will become the third state to have provision for menstrual leave for women employees after Bihar and Kerala.

Earlier, a petition seeking menstrual leaves for working women had been filed in the Supreme Court. On July 8 this year, the apex court directed the Centre to frame a model policy on menstrual leaves for women employees after deliberation with states and other stakeholders.

Hearing the petition, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said that this is a matter of policy and it not an issue courts need to look into.

However, granting menstrual leaves to women may prove to be counterproductive and have 'detrimental' as the employers may not prefer to employ women in their companies, the bench said.