Policy for Availing Canteen Facilities Armed Forces Personnel – CSD Canteen Smart Card

Policy for Availing Canteen Facilities Armed Forces Personnel – CSD Canteen Smart Card

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 1629
ANSWERED ON: 21.09.2020

Canteen Store Department

Dhanush M Kumar
Ganesan Selvam
C.N. Annadurai
Gautham Sigamani Pon
Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the employees of Canteen Store Department (CSD) are entitled to avail Canteen facilities and if so, the details thereof and the number of employees who are benefitted through the said facility;
(b) the details of companies supplying goods to military canteens in the country and the criteria fixed by the Government for the said companies in supplying the goods;
(c) whether there are limited number of military canteens in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra and if so, whether the Government proposes to set up more military canteens in these States;
(d) the criteria fixed by the Government to avail canteen facilities;
(e) whether CSD canteens are selling food items of sub-standard quality and a large percentage of food items are not tested and some items are of expired dates and if so, the details thereof and the action taken in this regard; and
(f) whether the Government has reviewed the functioning of these CSDs recently and if so, the details and the outcome thereof including the follow up action taken by the Government thereon?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)
IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(a) CSD Cadre employees are Govt employees and paid out of Defence Estimate Budget. Hence, they are entitled to avail Canteen facilities. The number of CSD employees is 2141.

(b) 436 companies are supplying goods against order placed by CSD Head Office based on the consumption pattern of URCs (Unit Run Canteens).

(c) There are adequate number of Unit Run Canteens in the states of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Besides, on the request of Ex-servicemen (ESM), Unit Run Canteens have been opened up where the strength of ESM is more than 5000. No proposal is pending with Army Headquarter for opening of additional URCs in Tamil Nadu & Maharashtra.

(d) The criteria for availing canteen facilities is laid down at CS Directorate policy No. 95350/Q/DDGCS/Policy/2018 dated 23 Mar 2018. Broadly, individual canteen smart cards are entitled to the following:-

i. Armed Forces personnel (including Coast Guard) with minimum 5 years of physical service.
ii. All ranks of Assam Rifles and SFF, at par with Armed Forces personnel.
iii. All serving personnel of APS with minimum 5 years of service.
iv. All serving DSC personnel, including Ex-DSC personnel who are in receipt of pension from defence services estimates.
v. Territorial Army personnel with minimum 5 years of physical service.
vi. Ex-Gentleman Cadets/Ex Recruits who are in receipt of disability pension, through defence services estimates, irrespective of length of service.
vii. Serving defence civilians in receipt of pay through defence service estimates.
viii. Retired defence civilians and their family pensioners, in receipt of pension from defence services estimates (Grocery only).
ix. Judges and Staff of AFT (Grocery only)
x. NCC personnel.
xi. Civil GT drivers being paid through defence services estimates (Grocery only).
xii. Veernaris/Widows/NoK of Armed forces personnel (including Coast Guard and DGBR) who are in receipt of pension through defence services estimates.
xiii. Widows of Short Service Officers (only those who have completed their terms of engagement)

In addition to this, following category of individuals are also authorized for canteen facility:-

i. EC Officers/Widows of EC Officers.
ii. Widows of WW-I & WW-II
iii. Civilian staff on deputation with MoD
iv. Marital discord cases.

(e) All food items are FSSAI certified and are periodically tested atleast once in six months by Army Medical Authority. Hence, no substandard quality of food items are sold in Unit Run Canteens (URCs)

(f) Functioning of CSD is being reviewed periodically by Canteen Stores Department (CSD), Service Headquarters & by MoD, and follow up action is taken as per decisions taken in these review meetings.