AIDCCEU Organises Candle March To Demand Implementation of CAG and PAC Recommendations

NationalDefence Bureau,
New Delhi, 16 August 2016
All India Defence Civilian Canteen Employees Union organized a candle march on Independence Day 15 August 2016 at Jantar Mantar in national capital. Hundreds of union members joined march in support of their long pending demands for implementation of the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Public Accounts Committee. “This is a matter of extreme exploitation of Unit Run Canteen (URC) Employees and discretion vis-à-vis CSD canteen”, said Bharat Bhushan Khulbe Secretary General, AIDCCEU.

URCs are the retail outlet shops of Canteen Stores Department (CSD), which is an organization of the GoI, MoD. There are total number of 35 CSD Depot depends upon the 4200 URCs for sale of its articles to the entitled Defence uniformed and civilian personnel. In comparison of annual turn over of CSD vis Rs 10000 crore, the annual turn over of URCs is Rs 12000 crore, which earn approximately a net profit of Rs 1000 crore per annum.

Besides both the organization are working for the interest of the nation, CSD employees have got the status of Government Servants and they are enjoying all the benefits  of Central Government Servants. On the other hand, URC employees those are working neck to neck with the three services are being paid very poorly and getting only basic salary of Vth pay commission. No other facilities like DA, HRA, Grade Pay, Fund, Bonus Gratuity, Medical facilities and retrial benefits are admissible to the URC employees.

“We have met defence minister several times for getting our demands met, but got no relief as yet”, Bharat Bhushan Khulbe.

Besides the recommendations of the Subordinate Legislation vide its 87^th report on Rule Regulations and Terms and Conditions of URC employees and recommendations of Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of India vide its Performance Audit Report number 14 of 2010-2011 presented in the Parliament on 13^th August 2010; Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Report number 48 and Advance Action Taken Report No 75 of 2011-12, 2012-13 respectively, no further action has been taken by the Government.

“Given the situation, We have been left with no choice but to come on road and recommence our agitation”, added Bharat Bhushan Khulbe.