PUNE: Boycotting poor quality food prepared allegedly in unhygienic condition, residents of the state-run Sant Dnyaneshwar Boys' Hostel on Thursday threatened to launch an agitation if the issue was not resolved.
The students claimed that they could not even stand the smell of the food dished out to them on Thursday, forget eating. The officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) validated their claim following an inspection of the cooking area in the hostel on the premises of the social welfare commissionerate.
The FDA officials confirmed that the conditions at the hostel mess were unhealthy .They would issue a show-cause notice to the food contractor for violating the food safety norms.
Abhijit Lokhande, an engineering student who stays at the hostel, said, "The food is cooked at the hostel mess in an unhealthy condition. On Thursday, the food served to us was stinking. Hence, we walked out of the mess. Some of us even found ants and pests on chapatis. We have decided to boycott the hostel food."
Lokhande alleged that the cook at the mess was an alcoholic. "He prepares food in inebriated state. When we complain, he hurls abuses at us and even threatens to beat up us."
The state's social welfare department pays Rs 4,300 per month per student to the food contractor for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Usually , breakfast comprises two eggs, an apple, a banana, poha (beaten rice flakes) and milk. Lunch and dinner consist of two vegetable dishes, chapatti, lentil (dal) and rice.
"Food items given for breakfast are usually of poor quality . Fruits are small in size.Even crushed fruits are served at times. Milk has no taste," said Ramdas Nirgude, another resident of the hostel.
Echoing Ramdas, another student said, "Chapatis given in lunch and dinner are often hard and difficult to chew. At times, there is hardly any lentil in dal or and on other occasions it is used in excess."
The food contractor is awarded the work contract every year. The mess staff consists of a cook for preparing vegetables, three woman assistants for rolling chapattis and a supervisor to oversee the work, bring vegetable and other cooking items.
"The present food contractor got the contract last Diwali. We have been complaining against his food quality for long. But nothing has happened. Today's (Thursday's) food was simply unpalatable," said another student.
The officials of the FDA inspected the hostel mess soon after they leant about the students' protest. "There is no denying the fact that the food is cooked at the hostel mess in a very unhygienic condition. The drainage line right outside the mess emits nauseating stench. Besides, the cooking area is unhealthy .But we did not find ants and pests in the food prepared, as claimed by the students. We shall show-cause the food contractor for cooking food in insanitary conditions," said Dinkar Mirajkar, the assistant commissioner (food) of FDA, Pune.
On if the officials had collected food samples for test, Mirajkar said, "We carried out visual inspection. Barring unhygienic condition, we didn't find any problem with the prepared food. Hence, we did not collect any sample of prepared food items."
Mumbai-based Crystal Gourmet Pvt Limited was awarded the food contract for all the 13 hostels of the social welfare department in Pune, including Sant Dnyaneshwar Boys' Hostel.
Prateek Jadhav, an employee of the company who looks after the operations for the 13 hostels in Pune, said, "We are trying to improve the food quality. The students' complaints have increased over the last two months but those are mainly against the cook. I ha ve informed my higher authorities about it as well as the FDA inspection. I am not well. Hence, can't say much about the food prepared today ."
Girish Tike, the branch manager of Crystal Gourmet Pvt Ltd, said, "We are using food ingredients of the highest quality and we never compromise on food safety norms. Some students in the hostel blow up minor issues out of proportion. Our payments are delayed for months, but we don't complain. We try our best to provide the best possible service."
Prasad Lad, the proprietor of Crystal Gourmet Pvt Ltd, said, "I have never been informed about the students' complaints. I will personally look into the issue. Things will be rectified soon."
Hostel's rector Deepak Sawant could not be contacted.
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