The Indian Coast Guard’s northwest region headquarters on Saturday said that it had ordered defence canteens to deny overweight and obese personnel subsidised alcohol, PTI reported. North West region Commander Rakesh Pal said all personnel, irrespective of rank, will have to comply with the order if medical board authorities have asked them to lose weight.

Armed Forces personnel are entitled to subsidised alcohol at defence canteens. The order applies to only personnel in the north west region which includes the dry state of Gujarat.

Pal said that the decision was taken to curb the influence of alcohol, whose consumption is linked to obesity. “As an interim measure to give a check, curb and minimise the obesity cases, it has been decided the liquor issue to obese/overweight personnel is to be stopped with immediate effect, as the consumption of liquor is known to be exaggerating the obese condition,” Hindustan Times quoted from the August 30 order.

Authorities had to decide against deploying several officials for duty at sea after they were considered physically unfit for the task, Pal said. “Our job is to be at the sea and unfit men cannot be posted at sea as one has to carry out various tasks,” he said.