File image of North Block in New Delhi, which houses the Ministry of Home Affairs | Photo: Bloomberg
File image of North Block in New Delhi, which houses the Ministry of Home Affairs | Photo: Bloomberg
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New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Thursday sent transfer orders to the chief executive officer (CEO) of Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandar (KPKB), which runs Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) canteens, who had prepared the list of non-‘Swadeshi’ products meant to be banned for sale through these canteens.

According to sources in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the action has been taken against DIG R.M. Meena after he issued an order that controversially said over 1,000 products manufactured by firms like Dabur, VIP industries, Eureka Forbes, Jaquar, HUL (foods), Nestle India will not be sold at CAPF canteens from Monday as they are not ‘swadeshi’ or are prepared from purely imported products.

“He has been removed because the list was not made diligently…The MHA took the matter very seriously. So it has been decided to send him back to his cadre,” said a source.

Meena did not respond to ThePrint’s requests for a comment.

Soon after its release, the MHA put the list on hold stating that there were discrepancies and a fresh list would be released soon. A new list would be put out after “due diligence”, the MHA had said.

The MHA, along with the commerce ministry, is now making a new list of items that will be classified as “purely imported”.

DIG made a ‘scapegoat’

A senior CRPF officer, meanwhile, said Meena is being made a “scapegoat”. “It is always easier to take action against CRPF officers…Is it possible that the DIG made the list without consulting anyone? Yet, action is being taken against him.”

The list prepared by Meena came weeks after the MHA declared that the central police canteens (CPCs) or CAPF canteens will only sell ‘swadeshi’ products from June 1 in a bid to give a boost to domestic industries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the people of the country to encourage and consume ‘Made in India’ products, with an emphasis on “Vocal for Local”.

The CAPF canteens are estimated to be doing an annual business of nearly Rs 2,800 crore by catering to the families of over 10 lakh personnel from the CRPF, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal and National Security Guard.