University of Pune students seek quality food in campus canteens

Students on the University of Pune (UoP) campus have demanded that nutritious food be served at the canteens in their hostels. Earlier, their agitation against the hike in rates had forced the four canteen operators on the campus to roll back the prices.

However, now, the quality of food is poor, they complain. On Monday, over 30 students from various departments, mostly hostelites, met vice-chancellor Raghunath Shevgaonkar and presented a list of demands.

The students had planned a morcha, but dropped the idea as the police have issued guidelines against morchas to administrative buildings, said graduate senate member Shashikant Tiokate.

Meanwhile, students’ representative Vishwajeet Singh told DNA that the food served in the canteens on the campus is not nutritious. “We demanded that private mess operators not be given entry to the campus due to various reasons,” he said.

The students have demanded that the ground floor of all boys’ hostel buildings be reserved for the physically handicapped.

They said there are eight hostel buildings, each with two to five storeys. As it is difficult for the handicapped to climb the stairs, the ground floor be reserved for them, they said.

Singh said, “We demanded doubling of geysers in hostel building number 8. We don’t get hot water, which is necessary in winter. The students also demanded that the campus be kept clean. We suggested limiting use of vehicles on the campus.”

Tiokate, who represented the students and gone to meet the VC along with them said, “The VC has assured that he will look into the matter concerning food quality, handicapped students and cleanliness on the varsity campus.”