CAPF canteens to go ‘Indian’ from June, announces Shah

NEWDELHI: Canteens of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will sell only indigenous products beginning June 1, Union home minister Amit Shah announced on Wednesday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for popularising local commodities (be vocal about local, he exhorted) in order to make India a self-reliant country in the face of the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

CAPF comprises seven central paramilitary forces, namely the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Security Guards (NSG) and the Assam Rifles.

Shah appealed to people to make the maximum use of “swadeshi (locally made)” products and encourage others to do the same. “Moving in this direction, the home ministry has decided that all canteens of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will sell only indigenous products from June 1. With this, a million CAPF staffers and five million family members will use local commodities,” he tweeted.

In another tweet, Shah underscored that PM Modi’s appeal to make the country self-reliant and use local products will lay the foundation for India becoming a world leader. Shah also said the combined sales of all CAPF canteens is worth ₹2,800 crore annually. There are over 119 CAPF master canteens and 1,625 subsidiary canteens across the country — from border areas to places hit by Maoist violence. “If every Indian pledges to use products made in India, the country can become self-sufficient in five years,” Shah said.

CAPF canteens were set up in 2006, after demands by central paramilitary personnel who cited that the army already has such canteens. CAPF canteens are already selling local products to a large extent, following an October 2019 home ministry order that asked them to shun foreign brands and introduce “swadeshi” goods, including food items, accoutrements for combat and regular duty uniform, bed sheets, towels, household goods, clothing and stationery, and other items.

ITBP director general SS Deswal, who is also holding an additional charge as the BSF chief, said: “Most of the items we use in our daily life are made in India and are procured from Indian companies.”

CAPF COMPRISES SEVEN CENTRAL PARAMILITARY FORCES, INCLUDING THE CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, NATIONAL SECURITY GUARDS AND ASSAM RIFLES