Govt normally does not shut CSD: Sitharaman

New Delhi: The government normally does not close Canteen Stores Department(CSD), which cater to serving and retired defence personnel, but goes for rationalisation 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 Defence 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, rationalisation of such stores is done depending on the availability of serving and retired defence personnel in a particular area," she said

Sitharaman said there are 636 cases wherein sanction for free holding of properties in cantonments have been accorded by the Ministry of Defence.