CSD Employees are eligible to avail Canteen facilities

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.

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

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.

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:-

1. Armed Forces personnel (including Coast Guard) with minimum 5 years of physical service.
2. All ranks of Assam Rifles and SFF, at par with Armed Forces personnel.
3. All serving personnel of APS with minimum 5 years of service.
4. All serving DSC personnel, including Ex-DSC personnel who are in receipt of pension from defence services estimates.
5. Territorial Army personnel with minimum 5 years of physical service.
6. Ex-Gentleman Cadets/Ex Recruits who are in receipt of disability pension, through defence services estimates, irrespective of length of service.
7. Serving defence civilians in receipt of pay through defence service estimates.
8. Retired defence civilians and their family pensioners, in receipt of pension from defence services estimates (Grocery only).
9. Judges and Staff of AFT (Grocery only)
10. NCC personnel.
11. Civil GT drivers being paid through defence services estimates (Grocery only).
12. Veernaris/Widows/NoK of Armed forces personnel (including Coast Guard and DGBR) who are in receipt of pension through defence services estimates.
13. 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.

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)

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.

The above information is given by the Minister of State Shripad Naik in Parliament on 21.9.2020.