CSD: Defence canteen products under scanner

The CDA believes that Hygiene is not the only matter of concern. The defence auditor has also objected to the 'arbitrary and opaque' manner of functioning of the CSD, leading to 'poor quality products with little brand value' being supplied to the defence personnel.

Curry, toothbrushes, pasta and whisky are under scrutiny after the Controller of Defence Accounts charged that the canteen did not follow guidelines, including hygiene checks.

Read more: Click here

Gross irregularities in CSD

04 sep 2012
A series of communications between Controller of Defence Accounts and the Defence Ministry reveals how gross irregularities occurred in the purchases in defence canteens across the country.
The exchange of letters between the auditors and Ministry exposes the tough resistance by forces to adhere to financial transparency in canteen purchases, involving thousands of crores per year.
“I am writing to highlight the malady that ails the Canteen Stores Department (CSD) and requires immediate attention. CSD has been held in such high esteem that it is almost sacrilegious to doubt their infallibility. Instead of groping in the dark about the functioning of CSD, which is considered to be a mascot of organised procurement system, an insight will reveal the labyrinthine corruption prevailing in the organisation.
“On the one hand the Government is endeavoring to climb the ladders of transparency, accountability, probity in public procurement process and to enhance public confidence in procurement by introducing the “The Public Procurement Bill, 2012” in Parliament, the system followed in CSD is highly opaque, discretionary, providing high degree of arbitrariness,” said Savitur Prasad, the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts in a communication to several officials of Defence Ministry including the Defence Secretary.
The series of letters between the Auditor and Ministry, obtained through RTI by activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal, says the procurements through nearly half of the vendors are by doubtful methods.
“There are about 600 firms supplying more than 4,000 items to CSD. Almost 200-300 firms provide product whose credentials in consumer market are hardly established. The details of factory inspection and hygiene report be made public by placing on the internet, which may unravel the truth of empanelling such firms.
“It is a travesty of faith that the age old loyalties of defence personnel being stoically dependent on CSD, have been breached by PSC (Preliminary Screening Committee), by introducing product from ineligible firm,” said the auditor of defence accounts.
The auditor has pointed out several malpractices in listing a product and absence of obtaining hygiene certificates for the items sold in canteens.
There are around 34 CSDs across the country and more than 4,500 Unit Run Canteens under it to cater the 17 lakh soldiers of Army, Navy and Air Force and their families.
Two years back, the CAG was allowed to audit CSD accounts after countering stiff opposition from forces. But till date, forces are adamant not to allow the audit by CAG in its 4,500 Unit Run Canteens.
Public Accounts Committee of Parliament headed by Murli Manohar Joshi had directed Defence Ministry to go for the CAG auditing in Unit Run Canteens in December 2011. But till date, forces as well as the Defence Ministry have not yet responded positively to the mandatory directions of the PAC. The Ministry is expected to revert back to PAC by September first week, after having sought postponement of implementation deadlines many a times.-via The Pioneer
Gross irregularities in CSD

Antony throws bribe bomb back at army chief

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, March 27, 2012
Defence minister AK Antony said Tuesday he had asked General VK Singh to take action against the alleged middleman, a former army officer, who had offered him a bribe but the army chief did not pursue the matter for unknown reasons.
Antony told the Rajya Sabha he was shocked
"I was shocked…Then I told him (the chief) to take action but he said he did not want to pursue it. I don't know why…," the minister said.
He couldn't take action as there was no written complaint, Antony said.
Lt Gen Tejinder Singh retired as the Defence Intelligence Agency chief in July 2010. The chief was allegedly offered the money a month later.
Antony told the House he had gone by his judgement and was ready to be punished if wrong. His track record showed that he fought for probity in public life, the minister said.
The government Monday ordered a CBI probe into the chief's allegations that he was offered Rs 14 crore to buy 600 "sub-standard" vehicles for the army.
Singh made the revelation in media interviews almost 18 months after the offer was made and barely two months before his retirement on May 31.
The claim also comes weeks after the chief's confrontation with the ministry over his date of birth. The Supreme Court refused to accept Gen Singh's claim on the age issue.
The chief has not named the person who offered him the money and referred to him as a "recently retired officer".
Antony's comments are significant since he has spoken publicly for the first time on an issue raised by the chief. Even when Gen Singh's age row was at its peak, the minister refrained from making comments.
Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said the Opposition did not question the minister's integrity but asked why no action was taken.
"Is this an issue on which both of them (minister and chief) should have put blinkers on their eyes and not inquired into the matter at all?" Jaitley said.
The army chief told news channel ETV that he couldn't act against the "middleman" because it was an indirect offer that left him stunned.
Antony throws bribe bomb back at army chief

Will a Nation Plagued by Power Shortages Develop?

Will citizens get a respite from daily power outages
Look at our visual Power Transmission standards!

I'm sure all of you have seen this in the cities. It makes us think of the thread of the guy who was questioning whether or not we have electrical engineers at all in India. So scary it's almost funny. Note that there are people that actually have to work on this mess and rig up such a cobweb.

Second set of reforms being prepared to unlock power sector
by Sujay Mehdudia
Struggling to meet the 11th Plan revised target of 62,000 MW of capacity addition from 78,000 MW, due to shortage of coal, non-availability of gas, high cost of imported coal and tardy pace of various power projects, the United Progressive Alliance-II government is preparing to unleash a second set of power sector reforms, including open access to consumers to choose their electricity supplier and restructuring of power utilities of seven major States — including Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The reforms come in the backdrop of a recent report that revealed that the accumulated losses of the power utilities across the country ran into Rs. 1.5 lakh crore and annual losses were around Rs. 55,000 crore putting a severe strain on the financial health of the distribution utilities. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to chair a high-level meeting to discuss the proposals aimed at unlocking the power sector and making it more attractive for private investment.

Report under way
The report on the reforms prepared by Planning Commission member (Energy) B.K. Chaturvedi is being finalised by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahuwalia, and the Law Ministry. It is expected to be finalised by March 2012.

Under the recommendations on Open Access, the view is that distribution licences should inform all consumers of 1MW and above that they could choose their electricity supplier. Other suggestions are: State power utilities should provide power to open access consumers at negotiated rates and not regulated rates; the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions should specify reasonable tariffs to be charged by distribution companies for providing standby supply; State load despatch centres should be upgraded in a time-bound manner to enable open access and 25 per cent of discretionary allocation of 15 per cent of central public sector undertakings generation must be made available for direct sale to open access consumers.

Expert group set up
An expert group has been constituted under Mr. Chaturvedi to make an assessment of the cumulative losses of distribution utilities of the seven major States. It has been asked to suggest a strategy for capital restructuring of these power discoms, including commitment by other stakeholders like State governments. It would also suggest a roadmap and monitoring mechanism for implementation of above.
Second set of reforms being prepared to unlock power sector

Consumers Rights and Responsibilities

PIB 3:43 IST Dr. Sheetal Kapoor
24th December is an important day in the history of consumer movement in India as on this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 came into existence. Consumer Protection Act is considered as the Magna Carta for protecting consumer rights through establishment of advisory and adjudication authorities. This year the theme proposed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs is “Consumers! Discharge your Responsibilities: Assert your Rights” which clearly means ‘there cannot be rights without responsibilities’.

Consumer Rights under Consumer Protection Act
Section 6 of the Consumer Protection Act clearly mentions the six rights available to the consumers. These are:

Right to Safety: To be protected against the sale of goods and services, which are spurious/ hazardous to life and property.

Right to information: To know the quality, quantity, weight and the price of goods/services being paid for, so that one is not cheated by unfair trade practices.

Right to Choose: To be assured, wherever possible, access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices.

Right to be heard: To be heard and to be assured that the interest would receive due consideration at appropriate fora.

Right to Seek Redressal: To seek legal redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers.

Right to Consumer Education: To have access to consumer education.

Gandhiji in the light of the above rightly said “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work - he is the purpose of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to serve him.”

Having examined the consumer rights and the purpose served by them, it is necessary to consider whether consumers should also be responsible enough to be entitled to exercise their rights. For instance, to be able to exercise their right to be heard, consumers should avail of the opportunities to know and be informed about consumer problems. To exercise their right to seek redressal of complaints, consumers must take all precautions to choose the right goods at the right price and learn how to use the products to prevent injury or loss. Some of the consumer problems can be avoided if we act responsibly.

Before Buying
As a responsible consumer we should plan our purchases in advance so that we get the right value for our money. We should try to enquire about the past performance of a product/ service and also try to find out the reputation of the producer/ seller/ service provider. Thus, self-help is the biggest tool in the hands of the consumers and they should make an informed choice. In this regard we can make use of comparative testing reports as published by voluntary consumer organizations such as, Voice and CERC for getting reliable and unbiased information about various brands which have been tested at various government approved laboratories.

While Buying
Consumers should collect information from various dealers regarding price and quality before purchasing products such as, cars, refrigerators, computers, etc. The proof of purchase and documents relating to purchase of durable goods should be obtained and preserved. It is important to get a cash memo with serial number, address and phone number to register a complaint, in a consumer courts, regarding defective product or deficiency in service. Similarly, durable consumer goods like TV, refrigerator, etc. carry warranty /guarantee cards issued by the dealers. The cards entitle the consumers to get the service for repairs and replacement of parts free of cost for a certain period after the purchase. Consumers should never sign a contract without first reading it. They should never sign a blank contract that a salesperson says will be completed later. If there is anything they do not understand, they can insist that it should be explained to them.

After Purchase
It is the responsibility of the consumer to use the product as per instructions given in the user manual. Further receipts, guarantee cards, terms of contract (photocopies), should be kept safely. In case of fault the dealer or the service center should be informed. Consumers should not meddle with the products themselves and should keep records for all correspondences and file them. Some consumers, especially during the guarantee period, make rough use of the product, thinking that it will be replaced during the guarantee period. This is not fair on their part. They should always use the products properly.

Besides the above responsibilities, consumers should be conscious of some other responsibilities. They should stick to the agreement made with manufacturers, traders and service providers. They should make timely payment in case of credit purchases. They should remember that they can exercise their rights only when they are willing to fulfill their responsibilities. As a dutiful consumer we should reduce waste, reuse and recycle products and think in terms of sustainable consumption. Thus, on the National Consumer Day we should be proud that we have rights but also should discharge our responsibilities. (PIB Features)
*Associate Professor, Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi
Disclaimer : The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PIB. RTS/VN
SS-192/SF-192/22.12.2010
“Consumers! Discharge your Responsibilities : Assert your Rights”

Are Generals compromising quality of weapons, equipment and food supplies?

'Five-star culture of senior officers is bad for Army'
Saira Kurup, Nov 7, 2010, 05.01am IST

He was the first head of the UN peacekeeping force in the former Yugoslavia. That was 1992. Two years later, Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar, 74, retired as deputy Chief of Army Staff. But this highly decorated officer still remains intensely engaged with military affairs. He talked Army pride, probity and the disturbing rise of a "five-star culture" with Saira Kurup. Excerpts:

As a distinguished retired officer of the Indian Army, how do you react to the alleged involvement of top serving and retired Army officers in the Adarsh building scam?
Without being unfair to the people concerned or to the establishment that I had the great privilege of serving for many years, I must say that it is an issue that causes all of us a great deal of anguish. One accepts that moral values have taken a beating in society in general. But it is disturbing to find that this degeneration has found its way into the armed forces too. Particularly because the armed forces are a unique institution in many ways; in which, quite often as leaders in battle, we ask of our subordinates the ultimate sacrifice in terms of their lives. Hence their trust and faith in us is something you cannot quantify or compromise. While on the one hand, young officers and men of the Indian Army have literally sacrificed their lives in ensuring the security of the country, on the other hand, we have sections of the senior leadership indulging in actions that bring shame on the organization.

Your son is a lieutenant-colonel. Might this scam affect the morale of relatively young officers like him?
The morale of the young officers and the men is not so easily affected because there is a great deal of resilience in the armed forces as an institution. But that is not to suggest there is no impact. Unfortunately in recent years there is already a disturbing five-star culture among the senior officers to which they have already been exposed and to that extent, I presume they are not too surprised. My advice to the current leadership in the armed forces would be to refocus on and promote the basic character qualities of integrity, loyalty to subordinates and courage. Moral values that sustain you in battle. This issue assumes wider ramifications when we hear of senior leaders falling prey to compromises on the quality of weapons, equipment and food supplies for the men in the Army.

Read more: 'Five-star culture of senior officers is bad for Army' - The Times of India Click here

Jawans at borders get stale food: CAG Report

Wed, Aug 4 04:49 AM
The Indian Army soldiers posted at some of the most difficult locations in the world along the China and Pakistan border are getting food that is unfit for human consumption and at times is more than two years beyond the expiry date, a latest government report on supply of rations in the armed forces has revealed.

The audit report says the Army has violated its own norms and has been supplying troops with food items, including rice, sugar and wheat, which are way past their expiry date. Most of the cases, the report reveals, pertain to the Northern Command, the largest Army formation in the country that has troops along the Pakistan and China border as well as the Siachen glacier.

"It was found that atta, sugar, rice, tea, dal, edible oil and raisins were consumed six to 28 months after the expiry of their normal storage life," the report says, adding that the food items were given illegal life extensions by a Jammu-based lab that were against the standing rules of the Army.

While soldiers have been complaining about the bad quality of food served at forward locations, this is the first official report of a large-scale violation of norms across the Northern Command.

The report also suggests a large-scale rigging of prices by revealing that 36 per cent of cases of procurement of fresh rations were based only on single quotations, taking away any scope of competitiveness. Not only that, raising suspicions of corruption, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has found that rations worth almost Rs 2 crore, meant for soldiers in high altitude areas, remain untraceable in the Northern Command. A majority of these rations, the report says, were issued during 2005-06, during which former Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor was heading the Northern Command.

The report also quotes an internal Army study that reveals only one per cent of soldiers in units across the country find the quality of rations they receive as excellent. A majority of the jawans have graded their rations as satisfactory or below.

While the armed forces have been trying to improve rations, the damning report has come as a shocker. The ministry is currently working on a long term plan to improve the quality of food as well as storage locations and is likely to come up with a new set of regulations soon.
Jawans at borders get stale food: CAG Report

Ordnance Factories jeopardise the combat effectiveness of the Army

Press Trust Of India
Posted on Jul 07, 2010 at 15:32 IBN Live
New Delhi: The CBI has asked the Defence Ministry to blacklist six firms, including four international ones, for their alleged involvement in the Ordnance Factory Board scam. Official sources said the names of four international companies -- Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK), Israel Military Industries Ltd (IMI), Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD), Zurich, and Cooperation Defence, Russia -- are mentioned in the letter by the CBI to the Defence Ministry.

Besides, two Indian firms -- T S Kisan and Companies Pvt Ltd (New Delhi) and R K Machines Tools Ltd (Ludhiana) -- have also been named in the CBI communique to the MoD sent earlier this week, they said. The action came after agency sleuths investigating the case found alleged involvement of these firms in the scandal.

The agency had on June 30 filed a 2,700-page chargesheet in a special CBI court, Kolkata, against former Director General of Ordnance factory Board, Sudipta Ghosh and 11 others for graft. A case was registered by CBI on May 17, 2009 under different Sections of IPC and Prevention of the Corruption Act against Ghosh and others. It was alleged that Ghosh had entered into criminal conspiracy with other accused with the object of demanding and obtaining huge illegal gratification in the matter of various supply orders placed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and also in the matters relating to transfer or posting of the officers of Ordnance Factories.

Following registration of case and subsequent probe, the CBI had arrested Ghosh and others. "During searches conducted by CBI, cash amounting to approximately Rs 1.41 crore was seized from the residences and bank lockers of the former DG and his wife. Another Rs 1.14 crore was recovered from the premises of other accused persons," CBI spokesperson Harsh Bhal had said. The chargesheet has named Ghosh and his wife Kajal Ghosh, Ramesh Nambiar, then additional GM (Sports) Air India, J K Thapar, director of T S Kishan and Companies Private Ltd, Satish Mahajan, director and Sunil Handa, manager of R K Machines Tools Ltd, Ludhiana.

Former statistical investigator of National Sample Survey Organisation, J K Grover, two private firms T S Kisan & Company Private Limited, New Delhi and R K Machines Tool Limited, Ludhiana, chairman of Mokul Group of Companies Mohinder Singh Sahni and two private persons -- Ashish Bose and Pradeep Rana -- were also named in the charge sheet. The matter will be heard on July 31 by a Kolkata court. According to CBI, the modus operandi of Ghosh was that he used to habitually negotiate bribes with domestic and foreign suppliers of defence equipment to the Ordnance factories through his conduit (Ashish Bose). Three separate cases were also registered by CBI against Ghosh, Nambiar and Grover for possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
CBI asks Defence Ministry to blacklist 6 firms

DRDO fires `swadeshi missile' at armed forces

27/05/2010
New Delhi: The head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India’s premier defence research organisation, said that responsibility for the low-level of self reliance in defence systems should not be borne by it alone.

"DRDO has long been held responsible for the level of self reliance in defence systems, but it must be understood that the responsibility for self reliance should be shared by all stake-holders of MoD and cannot be placed on DRDO alone, which neither has the power to impose its products on its customer nor the mandate or capacity to produce the developed systems all by themselves," Saraswat said.
DRDO fires `swadeshi missile' at armed forces
Overcome Temptation to buy Arms abroad, says DRDO Chief 5,000 Kms Range Agni-5 to be tested next year
DRDO now Developing Technologies for sub Conventional Warfare

Empowering the National Consumer and Redressal Commission

Friday, May 21, 2010
Creation of two additional posts of Members in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (National Commission) approved

The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal of creation of two additional posts of Members in the National Commission, one from judicial background and one from non-judicial background for the establishment of one additional Bench for a period of five years. This would not only enable early clearance of backlog of cases pending before the National Commission but also help bring about speedier disposal of fresh cases received in the National Commission.

Under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, a three-tier Consumer Disputes Redressal machinery has been established in the country with the `National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission’ (NCDRC) popularly known as the `National Commission’, as the apex body at national level, State Commissions below it at State/Union Territory level and District Fora at the district level.

At present, the National Commission consists of the President and nine other Members, with five Benches set up in the Commission with a disposal of almost 88% of the cases.

The National Commission has been receiving around 450 fresh cases each month and the rate of disposal is 600 cases each month. Going by the present rate of disposal with the existing strength, the existing backlog of nearly 8000 cases can be cleared earliest by another four and a half years. NCDRC is also presently not in a position to fully dispose of cases within the time norms mentioned in the Consumer Protection Act. ****SH/LV/SKS
Creation of two additional posts of Members in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (National Commission) approved

Question
I injured my knee in a game of football on 31st December 1997. It was diagnosed as ACL TEAR. For that I was operated upon in the knee on 2nd March 1998. After the operation my knee developed stiffness, which is unusual in such cases even after undergoing physiotherapy for two months I was unable to bend or straighten my knee. So after two months of operation my knee was manipulated under anesthesia to relieve stiffness. A plaster was put on the knee for one month. I was told to start walking . I used to walk with a limp. For about 8 months I continued to walk with a limp but then my condition deteriorated & in March-99 I had to start using crutches to move around. To find out the cause of this pain I underwent investigative arthoscopy in June-99 which revealed the following 1. ACL Laxity 2. meniscus tear 3. patellofemoral osteoarthritis . I was advised by the doctor to do physiotherapy, and take painkillers for the pain, I am still doing physiotherapy, but neither the pain has reduced nor am I able to walk without crutches, this whole experience has affected my life badly. Can I sue the doctors for negligence / inefficiency. My both operations were carried out in military hospitals, and they were done free of cost since I am serving in army. So I can not go to Consumer protection court. Please advise?.
Answer
You can file a writ petition in the High Court of judicature against the hospital, making doctors responsible for your condition a party. You can also seek damages alongwith the appropriate action against the doctors and the management in the writ petition.
To read more of Sample Questions and Answers on consumer protection- click here

Do Indian Military Welfare Organisations like ECHS, CSD, AWWA, AWHO, AWES and the rest come under the Indian Consumer Protection Act and do they exhibit transparency in their functioning?
Click here for present status and views on Army Welfare Organisations
Can we tune up the Military Welfare Organisations?
Major D S Bisht (Retd) was commissioned into 7th Battalion, The Jat Regiment on 30 Jun 1963. Presently, he is working for Central Himalayan Institute at Dehradun which has been established to undertake studies for good governance and development to strengthen national security. His essay is thought provoking and if his suggestions are implemented it is bound to improve the morale of serving Jawans and the ESM.
Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Vol. CXXXVIII, No. 573, July-September 2008.
Welfare of Armed Forces Personnel by Major D S Bisht (Retd)

Time to wind up DGQA Organisation?

Parwinder Sandhu | Pune
In yet another blow to the Indian Army’s image, the CBI has arrested three persons — including a retired Army officer in the Pune-based Director General of Quality Assurance — for their alleged role in the approval of sub-standard anti-skid chains worth Rs 1.56 crore supplied to the Indian Army.

The anti-skid chains were supplied to the Army between 2006 and 2009 by one Sunil Sharma, owner of Pune-based firm Sharma Enterprises. The officers who have been arrested include deputy director general (administration), New Delhi AJ Pawar, joint controller of quality assurance (heavy vehicles), Avadi Chennai A Prabhakaran and former group officer, vehicle quality assurance wing, Pune Fayazoddin.

Both Pawar and Prabhakaran had been summoned by the CBI for an enquiry in Pune and subsequently arrested. Meanwhile, the third accused is already based in the city.

Superintendent of Police (CBI anti corruption branch) Vidya Kulkarni said the tenders for the supply of chains had been invited by the Directorate General of ordnance supply, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi.

According to Kulkarni, the three arrested accused allegedly misused their official positions, causing undue favor to the supplier by clearing the substandard material. The supply of the substandard chains would have jeopardized the operational capacity of the Indian Army in the battlefield. Apart from operational hazards because of the chains, it also caused a loss of Rs 1.56 crore to the Government.

She stated that almost all the supplies of the chains have been frozen by the Army authorities and MoD.

A Press release issued by the CBI states that the chains are mounted on the tires of vehicles of the Indian Army in snow bound high altitude areas as an anti-skid device.

It is treated as a critical item for operational purposes and any failure in performance of these chains could result in loss of human life and precious consignments of the Army.

The Army internal audit report had confirmed that the 5542 chains supplied were of sub-standard quality, Kulkarni said. The chains did not even have the prescribed weight. The quality of chains would now be independently checked by IIT Powai. Eight chains selected randomly have been sent to the IIT. Report on the quality of the chains would be submitted by the IIT later this month.

Incidentally, the Pune-based firm supplying the chains has also been involved in the supply of sub-standard mudguards worth Rs 5.49 crore to the Indian Army. As many as 4304 low quality mudguards have been supplied to the Army between 2005 and 2007 for the BMP infantry combat vehicles.
Sub-standard equipment for the Armed Forces
Confidence in Defence equipment is created and generated through quality assurance by DGQA Organisation
DGQA

Comment: The Armed Forces Confidence Level of DGQA Organisation is a big ZERO.

CSD: Need to check default and degradation of services

Extension of free gift schemes to CSD consumers and a need to check default.
Many a times, service- members and veterans end up buying consumer goods from the open market because of the reason that certain offers and free gift schemes are not made available to CSD customers. Some of our people also believe that such schemes are not ‘legally’ not meant to be extended to CSD consumers.

This is however an unfair trade practice by suppliers and dealers. If a gift scheme is offered by a supplier in the open market to all consumers and is not only a local arrangement by a particular dealer, it is bound to be extended to the CSD too. Entitled personnel should make it a point to survey the market first and demand gift schemes from the concerned dealers if the same are being extended to customers other than CSD consumers. In case of default, the same may be immediately reported to the following address :

Customer Service Cell
c/o DGM (MS)
Canteen Stores Department
‘Adelphi’, 119, M K Road
Mumbai – 400 020

Posted by Maj Navdeep Singh

Comment: The consumer/ household goods sold in CSD are obsolete models and many are of poor quality (example cell phone chargers which are a decade old and not compatible with latest cell phone models are being flooded in CSD canteens). Therefore, it is advisable not to buy electrical and household gadgets from CSD as they are likely to be out- dated models. Chroma a Tata Venture a consumer friendly outlet has the best quality and latest household products at very reasonable rates.
Please Check out this webpage: Tata Chroma Retail

CSD Canteens are money spinners
Many formations and units have crores and lakhs of Rupees in Banks spinning even more interest. What is the earthly use of earning so much profits if it cannot be utilized prudently for implementing measures to improve quality of life of serving soldiers and veterans or creating permanent assets to enhance the image of the Armed Forces? The canteen staff are paid peanuts and in few cases the civilian staff are paid by dishing out liquor to compensate low wages! Is this the image the Military should create and spread among civilians?
Truly the Mission Statement of CSD needs to be suitable revised as "Money Spinners" serving no worthwhile cause or purpose (in fact profits generated are grossly misused for other than intended purposes). The CSD ideally should be run on "no profit no loss" basis. This truly will be service oriented.

ISRO Chief spills the beans about Higher Education in India

Bangalore: ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair, who is to retire by this month-end after an illustrious career at the space agency, feels that the country’s higher education system is not up to the mark, churning out graduates only for routine jobs.

Mr. Nair, also Secretary in the Department of Space, called for improving quality to produce high-class technologists and scientists.

‘Not up to the mark’
“The level of education and knowledge being imparted by many colleges... they are not up to the mark. Instead of concentrating on quantity, these institutions should concentrate on quality,” Mr. Nair told PTI in an interview.

"I am not happy with the education system in the country. The bulk of applicants (who applied for scientific and engineering jobs at ISRO this year)... they are not able to get even 50 per cent marks in our entrance tests."

Nair said if the quality level is not up to the mark, then one would only get people for clerical or routine jobs. If real technologists for manufacturing and scientific research were to be produced, the quality had to be far better.

Appointed as ISRO chairman, Nair's tenure saw realisation of 27 space missions, of which 25 were successful, with India's maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-1 being the pinnacle of glory for the country's space agency. Nair got two extensions in 2005 and 2007.- PTI
ISRO chief to retire by month-end

Fake degrees
Compounding the problems of poor quality of Higher education is the Fake Degrees, where detection and conviction is almost negligible. The Courts and Judiciary which have pending and backlog cases for the next 450 years is likely to enhance rapidly Fake Degrees in India and its export to other nations. Are we producing Scientists, Technocrats, Engineers for research or Bureaucrats and clerks for routine white collar jobs?

CSD India: The travails and torment of ESM

Date: Tuesday, 28 July, 2009, 11:09 PM
My dear Brig Kamboj,
I wonder whether you have experienced any problems while trying to buy high value items like cars, refrigerator, Microwave, Washing machine etc.from our Canteen.
My experience is, bad. My reasons:
1. When I want to buy a car I like, it is invariably not yet approved by the CSD in Bombay. ie. price not yet determined. By the time this process is over the car becomes an older model. This process goes on for ever and for every item.
2. Buying an item from the main CSD Depot is another great pain. First of all you have to complete an application form normally not easily available. Having obtained the form you have to declare that the same item has not been purchased by the buyer in the last two years. Does that mean one cannot buy two at the same time? I am now trying to build another room and a small study as I am expecting guests. (Not paying) I cannot buy 2 ACs. Is that the situation now?
3. Ok, having gone 12 Kilometers to the Station Hq for obtaining the SSO's signature (who is supposed to state that I am what I am and that I am a genuine buyer) one is required to go to the CSD DEPOT. There normally there is a crowd running here and there to find out the dealing clerk, and then you are asked to stand in a Queue.
4. The scrutiny of the application and the comparison of your ID with your present MUG takes quite some time. At the age of 82 you are not likely to look exactly like when you were 60. Finally after accepting the Demand Draft an order to supply the item is laboriously typed by the clerk, with instructions to take the form to the dealer who is normally another 10 to 20 KMs away.
5. And when you reach there and if it is not their lunch time you are asked to sign on two places. One is to check whether the signature tallies with what is there in the supply order and the other is to sign for "Having received the item in GOOD condition and that I have no complaints."
6 On getting that signature he tells us that the item can be collected when they will call you on phone!. They will also recommend a company to install it for which payment has to be made. The wiring etc should be got ready before the nominated person arrives to install it. When I questioned him regarding possibilities of the machine not working properly, he says "Not to worry Sir, the manufacturer will come and set it right as there is a year guarantee. Why then did you want me to sign earlier that it is in good condition and so on, he answers that is for the purpose of getting the cash from CSD!.

I am 82. Do you think it is possible for me to go through all these obstacles. When I asked the Canteen manager as to why the master card is not even seen by them. He said this is our PROCEDURE...
I feel this matter needs to be looked into. If the govt gives us some privileges let them give it gracefully, of course making sure of the identity of the buyer. Why cant they lay down a formula by which an entitled buyer shows his Smart card and choose what he likes from the approved items (Only High value items like car and so on) The present system of buying groceries and so on can carry on as now.
I once bought a godrej refrigerator and I found a huge hole at the back of the refrigerator due to rust. The one year was over. But when I called Godrej, they quietly replaced the entire sheet as they realised that the material was faulty. Even after the guarantee period was over. But Whirpool refused to do so even though the body was becoming rusty on powder coated surface. I got it repainted paying Rs 900.
What should we do to improve this? Can we do a brainstorming session and suggest something new? I forgot to mention that the CSD DEPOT insists on DD from the nationalised Banks. I told the manager that only bank which is truly national is RESERVE bank of India. The manager then accepted the KVB draft!.
Brig Seshadri (Retd)

High Value Items in CSD India
1. The models offered are vintage (nearly 2 years old). Products invariably do not have any star rating.
3. AC's, two wheelers, fridge are most sought after and it is evident that there is a racket operating between touts ESM and Civilian staff at the CSD Depots where one has to deal for getting the product. This is obvious from the crowds milling around the counters.
4. The brands that are generally available are those that do not sell in the civilian market.
5. Once the demand draft is paid the product is not delivered for long periods sometimes as long as a month. There is no provision to cancel the order and obtain refund instantly, which is against all norms and ethics.
6. The CSD (I) follows the bureaucratic standards of inefficiency and discourtesy. While there is some reforms taking place at Government level with the advent of RTI. There is no such provision in the charter of CSD.
7. The rules in vogue are antique niether of digital nor analogue world. There is absolutely no consumer protection against defective and poor quality products. Most electrical products do not pass ISI norms. CFT energy saving bulbs have no guarantee, whereas if purchased from civil market there is one year guarantee.
8. The nexus between the CSD (I), Politicians, MNC's, Manufacturers is so closely looped that it is difficult to redeem the situation in the near future. The situation and services are likely to further deteriorate! The ESM and MOD are mute spectators!
9. Mission Statement of CSD(I) should be replaced to read: Spin in crores of Rupees Profit by any means at the expense of Armed Forces Personnel, Serving as well as retired. Plough back profits for "Troops Welfare" (which in reality is draining it in a black hole).
Media Report
CSD(I)- Service to the Services: 2008
MoD diverting welfare funds: "irregular diversion" of canteen profits: 1998