Students say that the general secretaries used to bring out ‘clean college canteen’ card only to garner votes.
Cleanliness in one’s college canteen is a hot issue among students. For most of the students in the city, the canteen is the biggest incentive to turn to colleges. However, students told DNA that there are not many student-driven initiatives when it comes to taking action on canteen cleanliness and hygiene in the canteen.
Earlier, students say that the general secretaries used to bring out ‘clean college canteen’ card only to garner votes. However, no ground measures would follow the heated discussions, once the elections were over. Now, with the Mumbai University putting a stop to college elections, the situation is still the same.
“During elections, our general secretaries would talk about revamping the canteen. They would claim to improve quality of food, increase the variety and bring down prices. Once elected, though they have brought in variety, the quality of the food leaves much to be desired. We have on several occasions found cockroaches, mosquitoes and flies floating in the food,'' said Akshay Sawant, a TYBA, student from a Matunga college.
Riva D’ Souza, a class XII student in a city college, said, '' The dosa man in our college uses the same bucket to mix his concoction as used by the lady who washes the floor. When we told the college secretary, they just kept someone to monitor the kitchen for few days, but have stopped now.”
On the contrary, in some colleges, the general secretaries claim that they do not get the necessary support from students to undertake initiatives to clean up the canteen. Mansi Kothari, general secretary, KPB Hinduja College, Churchgate, says that students eat in the canteen but do not participate in any activities.
“The student turn out is poor for most activities that involve cleaning up the canteen. No one cares about their canteen. They only want to eat there,” she said.
Kothari added, “Our canteen faces lot of problems during the rainy season. The leaky roof creates puddles on the table, floor and chairs. Many times the water even drips into the food and students eat this food.''
On the positive side students of Ramnarain Ruia College has started drives to clean up their canteen.
“We inspect the quality of the food served in the canteen at least once a week. We ask them from where they have got the food, and test its quality and price. We have also appointed teams to clean up the canteen by picking up wrappers and other things thrown by the students,” said Shalmali Redkar, general secretary, Ruia College Matunga.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}