Govt normally does not shut CSD: Sitharaman

The government normally does not close Canteen Stores Department(CSD), which cater to serving and retired defense personnel, but goes for rationalization of such facilities depending upon the population of such people, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday

Sitharaman, who was speaking in Lok Sabha on behalf of defense Minister Rajnath Singh, said the government has received 391 applications from lessees of civil area for making 253 old grant properties and 138 leased properties located in cantonments into free holding properties, "Normally, the CSDs are not closed. However, rationalization of such stores is done depending on the availability of serving and retired defense personnel in a particular area," she said Sitharaman said there are 636 cases wherein sanction for the free holding of properties in cantonments have been accorded by the Ministry of Defence.