Service canteens to stop selling 422 direct import items

Procurement shall be stopped in support of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”

The Unit Run Canteens (URC) of the armed forces will stop selling 422 directly imported items following an order from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in support of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. The Canteen Stores Department (CSD) has issued a notification to all its depot managers to this effect.

“To implement government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and as per the directions of the MoD, no purchase order will be placed for the directly imported items with immediate effect,” the notice dated October 29 said. However, there is no restriction in supply of items of pending purchase orders already placed and sale to URCs till such time the stocks of imported items are liquidated fully.

“You are therefore requested not to place any local purchase orders on the imported items…,” the notification said asking all depot managers to confirm its receipt by October 31 by email.

The CSD, which functions as an attached office of the MoD, has 34 depots located across India. It has a portfolio of over 4,500 products sourced from 650 vendors both Indian and foreign.

In an order dated October 19, the MoD said meetings were held with the three Services and CSD officials on May 21 and July 21 in support of “Atmanirbhar Bharat abhiyan”. “Based on the agreed decisions, it has been decided that procurement of direct imported items shall not be undertaken by CSD.”

The list of 422 items include some leading brands and a defence official said the volumes of various items are so high that it should act as an incentive for companies to localise.

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