CAG reports say Army CSD supplies sub-standard quality food items

In the latest report by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), canteen store department (CSD) failed to generate and forward a monthly list of the food and liquor items to be tested at food laboratories, resulting in high risk of consumption of sub-standard quality items.

According to CAG, "CSD head office (HO) shortlisted only 520 items for testing against 956 food and liquor products procured. But out of shortlisted, only 448 were sent to the labs between August 2014 and March 2015.”

CAG report read, "It was observed that the labs which were in collaboration with CSD did not provide test report of quality of 281 food items and 91 liquor items. But out of the 76 test reports received, the Labs had declared 35 samples (46 per cent) as sub-standard."

Citing an example of King Fisher Beer referred to laboratory for testing in January 2014, by Area Depot Baghdogra (through Area Depot Delhi) which was found unfit for consumption, CAG said, “Stock worth Rs 8.43 lakh of the King Fisher Beer sub-standard batch was sold to the customers.”

In response to CAG report, Deputy Director General Canteen Services stated that “A proposal to enlist additional laboratories has been initiated, which will give out more detailed analysis.”

Though CAG expressed its displeasure and said, “Despite the assurance given by the MoD to the parliamentary action committee to increase the number of centres for testing of food & liquor items, Composite Food Laboratories (CFLs) were on the other hand reduced from six to three."