Canteens at government colleges cry for attention

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 3

Struggling to get infrastructure, a majority of the canteens in government colleges across the city are operating in unhygienic conditions. As per the information gathered by The Tribune, unhygienic food is also being served putting at risk the health of consumers.

What is significant is the fact that the important issue has been ignored by the Health Department authorities for a long time.

A look at the canteen of the Government College for Girls, Patiala, clearly shows how the health of students is being compromised.

There is no seating arrangement for consumers and the quality of drinking water is also poor. The quality of food is not up to the mark. Moreover, utensils in which the food is served are dirty as they are repeatedly rinsed in dirty water before being put to use again.

The situation is similar at Government Mohindra College since canteens are cramped and the contractor cooks all items in a very small kitchen.

“There is a separate canteen for boys and girls. While the quality of food in boys’ canteen is still fine, the girls’ canteen serves very average food. There have been instances when samosas were stale and we literally had to throw them,” said a girl student.

One of the teachers said while the accountability of the maintenance of these canteens falls on the shoulders of the college authorities, there is not enough money to modify these canteens.

She said: “The contract money for canteens goes to the government treasury and colleges do not get a single penny of this amount. Whatever changes are to be brought about has to be done from PTA funds but the colleges have many more responsibilities.”

One of the workers, on condition of anonymity, said while a contractor pays a huge sum of money for getting the contract, canteens are closed for more than three months due to vacations. Moreover, sale also falls down during examination days. Therefore, we don’t save much after all expenses. Therefore, you cannot expect us to spend money on infrastructure and nearby cleanliness from our own pockets.

The Principal of the Government College of Girls, Chiranjiv Kaur, said the college had constituted a five-member canteen committee that regularly checks the quality of food.

“I admit that the ambience of the canteen is not very good since its building is old, but we are soon going to construct a new canteen. The Public Works Department has given an estimate of Rs 53 lakh for the new canteen and we are in the process of starting the work next week,” Chiranjiv said.

Seconding her opinion, Dr Sukhbir Singh Thind, Principal of Government Mohindra College, admitted that the infrastructure was poor.

However, he said the college was already in the process of constructing a proper canteen and student centre at the college.

“We will construct a new canteen and a student centre with a total cost of Rs 93 lakh to ensure that the students get a hygienic ambience and are properly seated. The building plan is ready and as soon as we receive the adequate amount, we will start the work. Till then, we have no option but to continue here only,” he said.