Lok Sabha Question No. 2400 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: ECHS Polyclinics and CSD Canteens
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Shri Anurag Singh Thakur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

## DEPARTMENT OF EX-SERVICEMEN WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2400

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## ECHS POLYCLINICS AND CSD CANTEENS

2400. Shri Anurag Singh Thakur:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  total  number  of  Ex-Servicemen  Contributory  Health  Scheme  (ECHS)  polyclinics  and Canteen Stores Department (CSD) canteens currently functional in Himachal Pradesh, districtwise including Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una, Kangra and Mandi;
- (b) whether Indian Navy/Indian Air Force personnel along with their dependants are eligible to avail services at these facilities and if so, the details thereof along with inter-service entitlements and any restrictions thereon;
- (c)  the  financial,  demographic  and  geographic  parameters  and  staffing  norms  followed  for sanctioning new ECHS polyclinics and CSD canteens in rural and hilly regions along with the manner in which high recruitment-to-population ratios are factored into such planning;
- (d) whether the Government has received/approved any proposals to establish new facilities in the aforesaid districts and if so, the details thereof including timelines likely to be taken for making such approved facilities functional along with the monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure timely implementation; and
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  approved  provision  of  free  medical  treatment  under  the  ExServicemen  Contributory  Health  Scheme  for  officer  cadets  who  suffer  varying  degrees  of disability during training and if so, the details thereof?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

## MINISTER OF STATE

## IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(a)  and (b) The  total  number  of  Ex-Servicemen  Contributory  Health  Scheme  (ECHS) polyclinics and Canteen Stores Department canteens currently functional in Himachal Pradesh, district-wise is enclosed at Annexure.

All defence pensioners who fulfill the eligibility criteria of being Ex-servicemen including those of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force with their dependents are eligible to avail services of ECHS scheme.

(SHRI SANJAY SETH)

All serving and retired Armed Forces personnel, irrespective of their Service are entitled to CSD facilities.

- (c)  Based on number of ex-servicemen residing in a particular area, polyclinics are categorized into five types as under:-

| Type of Polyclinics   | Strength of ESM              | Daily Average Sick Report   |
|-----------------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Type 'A'              | above 20000                  | 281-420                     |
| Type 'B'              | above 10000                  | 211-280                     |
| Type 'C'              | above 5000                   | 141-210                     |
| Type 'D'              | above 2500                   | upto 140                    |
| Type 'E'              | above 850 (for remote areas) | -                           |

The criteria for opening a CSD Canteen include a minimum strength for full ESM (exServicemen) Unit Run Canteen (URC) of 5,000 ex-servicemen in a district/ tehsil and minimum strength  required  for  opening  of  an  Extension  Counter  is  2,500  ESM.  Further,  the  distance  of nearest Unit Run Canteen (URC) should be more than 50 Kms in plains and 30 Kms in hilly terrain.

- (d) Three new Polyclinics are now functional at Bhoranj in District Hamirpur, Nalagarh in District Solan, and Gagret in District Una in Himachal Pradesh.  Further, nine ESM Unit Run Canteens / Extension Counters have been sanctioned in Himachal Pradesh in last five years.
- (e) Medical facilities under ECHS have been granted to officer cadets who are invalidated from  their  training  on  medical  ground  due  to  causes  attributable  to  or  aggravated  by  military training.

## ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  AND  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2400 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026 REGARDING ECHS POLYCLINICS AND CSD CANTEENS

## ECHS POLYCLINICS FUNCTIONAL IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

|   S.No. | District   | Name of Polyclinic   |
|---------|------------|----------------------|
|       1 | Bilaspur   | Bilaspur             |
|       2 | Bilaspur   | Ghumarwin            |
|       3 | Chamba     | Chamba               |
|       4 | Chamba     | Bakloh               |
|       5 | Hamirpur   | Barsar               |
|       6 | Hamirpur   | Hamirpur             |
|       7 | Hamirpur   | Bhoranj              |
|       8 | Kangra     | Shahpur              |
|       9 | Kangra     | Deragopipur          |
|      10 | Kangra     | Yol                  |
|      11 | Kangra     | Palampur             |
|      12 | Kullu      | Kullu                |
|      13 | Mandi      | Sarakaghat           |
|      14 | Mandi      | Jogindernagar        |
|      15 | Mandi      | Mandi                |
|      16 | Shimla     | Shimla               |
|      17 | Shimla     | Rampur               |
|      18 | Sirmaur    | Nahan                |
|      19 | Solan      | Solan                |
|      20 | Solan      | Nalagarh             |
|      21 | Una        | Gagret               |
|      22 | Una        | Una                  |

## CSD canteens functional in Himachal Pradesh

|   S.No | District      |   No of URCs |
|--------|---------------|--------------|
|      1 | Chamba        |           05 |
|      2 | Lahual &Spiti |           05 |
|      3 | Kangra        |           31 |
|      4 | Una           |           02 |
|      5 | Hamirpur      |           13 |
|      6 | Mandi         |           13 |
|      7 | Kullu         |           08 |
|      8 | Kinnuar       |           08 |
|      9 | Bilaspur      |           07 |
|     10 | Solan         |           07 |
|     11 | Shimla        |           15 |
|     12 | Sirmaur       |           03 |

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