Seven colleges, 14,000 students, one huge canteen.
Mind-boggling when one does the math. But the canteen operators at the Vidya Prasark Mandal’s educational complex in Thane (W) claim that they have it well under control without scrimping on the quality of food and hygiene measures.
Popularly known as the Thana College, the complex has students from across the board—arts, science, commerce, law, polytechnic and languages. A month ago, two staff members from the canteen attended our workshop at the Somaiya College. We check if they took back any lesson. The canteen, which serves 300 students at a time, has an edge over several colleges in Mumbai with the greenery it is set in. With a big, clean serving platform — made of stainless steel, it looks all set to attend to a large number of students at a time. All food items are covered with lids and sport price tags. The kitchen has a huge exhaust system, with clean utensils and food ingredients of good quality.
While students like Akshay Gaokar swear by food that is tasty as well easy on their pockets — a vada pav costs Rs8 here as compared to the Rs10 outside, most of them were clueless about the hygiene measures practised at the canteen.
Canteen manager Santosh Kamath, though, claimed that norms have been tightened since the Food Safety and Standards Act was implemented. “The staff is also trying its best to serve hygienic food after attending DNA’s workshop. Personal hygiene of the food handler is being taken seriously now. They will soon be de-wormed as well.”
The staff has to mandatorily wear hair nets and hand gloves. The kitchen is cleaned every hour. The staff had to go through a medical check-up five months ago. They are also insured against accidents. A staff member said, “We are relaxed now, as in an emergency, we will be eligible for a cover of Rs1 lakh.” Kamath said steps are on to get them medically insured as well.
The maintenance of the canteen was, however, disappointing. The floor of the kitchen and the serving and eating areas were found wanting in cleanliness.
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