Retired defence civilians extended CSD facilities

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 5
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has agreed to extend CSD canteen facilities to retired defence civilian employees also. Though these employees are entitled to CSD (Canteen Stores Department) facilities while in service, they had to forgo this benefit after their retirement.

A letter issued by the MoD earlier this week states that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has accorded his approval for the same. The issue relating to extension of CSD canteen facilities to retired defence civilian employees had been under consideration of the government for a long time.
Defence civilians are Union Government employees paid out of the defence estimate and form part of the Ministry of Defence, but they do not come under the purview of the Army, Navy or the Air Force Acts. They are primarily governed by central government employment rules as applicable to employees of other ministries. They are employed on administrative and technical posts in various defence establishments, including service headquarters, static establishments, defence accounts, military engineer services, NCC, ordnance factories, defence estates, quality assurance etc.
According to a census of central government employees conducted by the Ministry of Labour, defence-civilian employees have a total strength of about 3.75 lakh personnel, including gazetted officers, comprising about 12 per cent of the total regular employees under the Centre Government. Close to 42,700 defence civilian employees are women.
While the monetary limits for defence civilians for the purchase of CSD goods is on a par with armed forces personnel; defence civilians, however, are not entitled to draw liquor from CSD outlets. The sale of four-wheelers through CSD for defence civilians is restricted for officers. Defence civilians also enjoy several other benefits and perks applicable to armed forces personnel while posted in field and hard areas.