Order junking over 1,000 non-swadeshi products from paramilitary canteens retracted

The order taking forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch for an ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ or self-reliant India and the subsequent government announcement last month to push ‘Made in India’ products, after which over 1,000 goods manufactured by foreign firms were banned to be sold at paramilitary canteens was rolled back on Monday (June 1).

After it was found that the list containing de-listed products also included some Indian goods, the Home Ministry called for a retraction of the order.

According to a senior officer at Ministry, ” The CEO, Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars took out the order without consulting ministry, so seniors have taken an offence and action may be taken against said officer.”

He also told NDTV that a revised list will be sent out shortly.

According to the rolled back government order, Dabur, VIP industries, Eureka Forbes, Jaquar, HUL (foods), Nestle India products won’t be sold in the canteens since they are not swadeshi or are prepared from purely imported products.

However, it was noted that Dabur, Bajaj and Usha are Indian products.

Nutella, Kinder Joy, Tic Tac, Horlicks Oats, Tommy Hilfiger shirts and Adidas body sprays, Skechers, Ferrero, Red Bull, Victorinox, Safilo (Polaroid, Carrera) have also been de-listed.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on May 13 declared that the nationwide network of over 1,700 Central Police Canteens (CPCs) or Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens will only sell indigenous or “swadeshi” products from June 1 in a bid to give a fillip to domestic industries.

Related news: Paramilitary canteens to have only ‘swadeshi’ products: Centre

The order had said all those items which are made from “purely imported products” are being de-listed from Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandar – the parent body that runs these canteens.

The Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars had divided all products into three categories.

Category 1 comprises products purely made in India. Category 2 includes products with imported raw materials but are manufactured or assembled in India. The third category consists of “purely imported products”, reported NDTV.

The firms whose certain products use imported goods and have been de-listed include Blue Star Limited, Borosil Glass Works Limited, Colgate Palmolive India Ltd, Dabur India Ltd, VIP Industries, Eureka Forbes, Jaquar, HUL (foods), Nestle India, among others.

The order had said the rejection or de-listing of non-swadeshi goods is done by the canteen board “on the sole basis of information submitted by the firms”.

According to a senior officer, the canteens mostly cater to the lower and upper level of the constabulary. But this decision would have impacted the rest 30 to 40 per cent people.

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The CAPF canteens do an estimated business worth ₹2,800 crore annually by selling their products to 50 lakh family members of about 10 lakh personnel of forces including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Security Guard (NSG) and Assam Rifles.

(With inputs from agencies.)