On the menu — substandard food, poor hygiene

Simran Dhiman

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Chandigarh, March 17

Students of Panjab University look up to the Students’ Centre and the campus canteens for good food and ambience. But most of the canteens on the Panjab University campus are in a pitiable condition. The canteen behind Arts Block is the worst of the lot. There are a few dustbins around the canteen and the floor is always strewn with leftovers. Despite the ban, disposable glasses are littered around the canteens.

A large number of students have to depend on department canteens for food. However, poor quality of food leaves a bad taste among students who have little choice. The unhealthy ambience is affecting their health, too.

Students also complain of the lack of sheds in the eating areas. During extremely hot days or rains, there is no place to sit. The situation is no different at Students’ Centre, where most of the sheds are damaged. The condition of the department canteens is no better. In fact, during rains, it gets worse.

While in the hostel mess and canteens, there is a strict quality check in place for the raw materials and food ingredients that are used but there is no such provision in the department canteens, because they run on contract basis. The contractors blame the authorities while the university authorities blame the contractors.

“We purchase branded raw material for the hostel mess and have constituted a committee to ensure quality check in each hosteI. The condition of other canteens on the campus is not healthy,” said Ekta Bajaj, dietician, PU.

“The canteens near the Arts Blocks are very dirty. The food is unhygienic. There are very few seats to sit and you can find garbage around you all the time. Students’ Centre is not as filthy as the canteens but it lacks proper sitting arrangement for students,” said Parvinder Kaur, a student of the Law Department.

“I find it very difficult to eat in the canteen behind Arts Block 1. It lacks cleanliness. The sheds leak after rains,” said Shivangi Walia, a student of Mass Communication.

“Every canteen has one chairperson as its in-charge, who manages funds to maintain the canteen. We ensure that they get these funds timely. Students and contractors must be aware and ensure cleanliness around the canteens. In case of any problem, they must complain to the authorities,” said superintendent, Estate, PU.

“We are reworking on the hut behind the Arts Block. The contractor hardly maintains cleanliness despite repeated reminders from our side,” said Dr Ashok Sabharwal, chairperson, Hindi Department. However, the canteen contractor blamed the department for not maintaining proper cleanliness in the canteen.

“Every department should nominate two students to take care of the canteens and submit a proper report on the issues and problems of the canteens. Dean, Students’ Welfare, has assured us that the number of sitting and sheds will be increased in the Students’ Centre. The DSW has also agreed to provide more dustbins for the Students’ Centre. We are also working to come up with a rate list for all canteens that is student friendly,” said Rishi Bhardwaj, secretary, Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC).