Only Made-in-India In Paramilitary Canteens From June 1 After PM's Pitch

Paramilitary canteens record around Rs 2,800 crore in sales annually.

Only "Made in India" products will be sold in paramilitary canteens from June 1, the government said today, a day after Prime Minister stressed on the mantras of "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat" or self-reliance and "vocal for local" while announcing a mega economic package to tackle the economic impact of coronavirus.

"Yesterday PM Modi appealed for the country to be self-reliant and focus on local products (made in India), which will certainly take India on the path to global leadership in the coming days," Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted.

"In this direction, the home ministry has decided that all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens will only sell swadeshi products. This will apply from June 1. Around 10 lakh CAPF personnel and 50 lakh members of their family will use swadeshi products," the home minister said.

Paramilitary canteens record around Rs 2,800 crore in sales annually. The CAPF includes 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.

The Home Minister said people should use made in India products and urge others to do so also.

"This is not the time to lag behind but to turn a crisis into an opportunity. If every Indian resolves to use only made in India products then the country will become self-reliant," the home ministry said in a press statement.

Some official say the ministry had urged these canteens to promote "swadeshi" (indigenous) products last year after the Home Minister visited the headquarters of various paramilitary forces. At the time, there was not much available in Indian-made products so the canteens had no option but to keep selling foreign brands for products like bags and suitcases. 

"Now as the Home Minister has again asked us to promote swadeshi products, we have no option," an official in charge of CAPF canteens said.

Yesterday, in a televised address to the nation, PM Modi announced a Rs 20 lakh crore package, equivalent to 10 per cent of India's GDP, to help various sectors hit by the coronavirus lockdown. He also emphasized on self-reliance and pitched for the use of products manufactured in the country, saying the novel coronavirus outbreak had underscored the importance of local manufacturing, local market and local supply chain.

"In times of crisis, the local has fulfilled our demand, the local has saved us. Local is not just the need, it is our responsibility also," he said.

Every Indian has to become "vocal for their local", said PM Modi, not only to buy local products, but also to promote them proudly.