MoD extends canteen facilities to retired defence civilian staff

Thiruvananthapuram: The ministry of defence (MoD) has issued an order extending its canteen facilities to retired defence civilian employees also. However, retired civilian employees will not be entitled to the supply of liquor through the canteen.

These employees were eligible for the facilities of canteen stores department (CSD) while they were in service.

However, they had to forfeit it after their retirement. These civilian employees worked in various administrative and technical posts in defence establishments, including service headquarters, static establishments, defence accounts, military engineering services, NCC, ordnance factories, defence estates and quality assurance.

The salary of defence civilians is paid from the defence estimate of the ministry of defence. However, they are not covered by the Army, Navy or the Air Force Acts.

It is the Central government employment rules that apply to employees like that of the other Union ministries.

All India Organisation of Pensioners (Civil and Military) (AIOP) executive committee member P. R. Rajasekharan told Deccan Chronicle that the demand was under the consideration of the Central government for the last 15 years.

Various organisations of central government pensioners including the AIOP had taken up their demand with the Union defence ministry soon after the regime change.

“Finally, the Union government agreed to our demands,” Mr Rajasekharan said. The CSD under the defence ministry with its head office in Mumbai has sub-depots in all the main military bases operated by the Indian Armed Forces.

It sells a wide variety of products like household provisions, kitchen appliances, alcoholic drinks, cars and sports equipment for active and retired members of the Armed Forces.