Ex-servicemen flag liquor quota, CSD canteen problems in Chandigarh

Say that some cantonments have CSD canteens located deep inside the campus, forcing the veterans to go through the gate checks

The United Front of Ex-Servicemen, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in a recent letter to the Army Veteran Cell has said that the veterans were facing problems in availing their liquor quota at various CSD canteens amid the pandemic.

Ex-servicemen body says that all liquor shops in states like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are open to civilians, whereas all the CSD canteens are closed. (HT File)

While raising their concerns, the ex-servicemen body has said that all liquor shops in states like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are open to civilians, whereas all the CSD canteens were closed causing problems to the ex-servicemen there.

“Some cantonments have CSD canteens located deep inside the campus, forcing the veterans to go through the gate checks. Each canteen needs to have windows and computers as per the veterans’ strength so that each one of us gets time to visit the canteen twice in a month,” reads the letter written by the NGO.

The president of the NGO, Lt Col (retd) SS Sohi, said, “We have received complaints that veterans are facing problems due to the closure of CSD canteens. The canteens should be opened at all places as per the guidelines of the local administration. We also request that there should be an ex-servicemen cell at every station.”

Proposal for Sainik Welfare Centre

In the letter, the NGO has also proposed that a piece of land on GT Road between Karnal and Panipat, which was donated by a veteran for defence use, could be used for setting up a Sainik Welfare Centre.