Former Army personnel demand CSD canteen facility

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 13

Former Army personnel hailing from Haridwar area have demanded establishment of a full-fledged Canteen Stores Department (CSD) facility.

Despite being a noted pilgrim city and a number of Army background personnel residing here, there is no permanent CSD facility, it was stated. Only an occasional mobile van that ferries some commodities is available, that too after 2-3 months gap, it was added.

Former service personnel and their family members, it is learnt, have had to commute either to Dehradun district or to Roorkee Cantonment area to avail the benefit.

Under aegis of the Dev Bhoomi Poorva Sainik-Ardh Sainik Kalyan Samiti (DBPSASKS), former Army personnel said a large number of former and serving Army and paramilitary personnel reside in Haridwar. They face problems in procuring concessional CSD products, as there is no such canteen facility available in the city, it was stated.

President of the Dev Bhoomi Poorva Sainik-Ardh Sainik Kalyan Samiti (retd) Subedar Major Dinesh Chandra Saklani said since creation of a separate state of Uttaranchal 15 years back, they have been demanding CSD facility in Haridwar.

“From the Defence Ministry to CSD Army officials concerned to the Uttarakhand government — Chief Minister, Soldier Welfare Minister, we have sent numerous communiqués and memorandums. For the past few years, a mobile CSD truck facility is being provided by the Army, but considering hundreds of families of former Army and serving personnel, neither the variety nor quantity is available to us. Only a full-fledged permanent CSD canteen is the solution for us to be able to avail the benefits of concession on commodities provided by CSD,” said Chandra Saklani.

As per organisational secretary Gopi Chand, on March 15, at Chitra Garden, a meeting has been called by DBPSASKS, where the issue of CSD canteen as well as planning for the third Founder’s Day of the samiti will be discussed.

The Founder’s Day is on March 22, wherein brave soldiers will be felicitated. Samiti core committee members HS Sharma, AK Chaudhari, AK Gupta, VD Bahuguna, HC Thapliyal, Sushil Chaturvedi, Prakash Chand Bhatt, Ram Meher Singh, PB Thapa, Prem Prakash, BS Sharma, Trilok Singh, Som Prakash Sharma, CS Rawat, BS Negi, SC Sharma and PK Sharma urged all members to be present at the meeting.