Food: For the students, by the students

Amarjot Kaur

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The issue of cooperative messes that run on no-profit-no-loss model has commanded attention throughout Panjab University election campaign. On Saturday, as reported by PU Pulse on Facebook, PSF (PUSU for Students) went on a strike to address the issue of substandard quality of food being served in boys’ Hostel No 6. 

This has cost the mess contractor a fine of Rs 3,000. However, in the cooperative mess at Boys’ Hostel No 3, things run differently. For this mess, a student committee comprising four hostel inmates, headed by a secretary, purchase grocery and dairy products twice every week. They decide the menu after taking suggestions from other hostel mates and the food is served on ‘diet’ basis. 

Vikas Chamoli, 33-year-old assistant warden of the hostel, briefs us on the functioning of the mess. “The members of the committee are charged Rs 2,000 as security and they are accompanied by the mess in-charge (contractor) to buy vegetables and products required at the mess,” he says. 

While earlier, all hostels in university had cooperative messes, only Hostel No 3 sticks with the tradition now. Chamoli reasons it out, “Most students in this hostel are from the University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology (UICET) department. It’s a four-year professional course, so they are here for longer time than students who pursue a Masters course, so that eliminates the chances of having defaulters. Also, they don’t make extra food because they know how many students will be dining on daily basis. 

The committee 

Headed by 20-year-old Akshay Goyal, the secretary of the committee, the other three members of the committee include Mithilesh Bansal, Shyam Sunder and Vaneet Garg. A second-year student of UICET, Akshay says, “The mess bill, including grocery, dairy, and salaries of mess staff, amounts to Rs 2 or 2.5 lakh a month and the food is served on diet basis which is more like a buffet system, so quantity wise also students get more food. Depending on the price of vegetables, a meal can cost a student anywhere between Rs 22 and Rs 30. They charge Rs 5 extra for guests. That’s considerably cheaper than other messes, and since we buy the food we know it’s hygienic, unlike the food in other messes.” 

Theirs is the only mess that offers sweet dish post dinner every day, Akshay informs. “Also, we hold regular meetings with hostellers to inquire about the changes in menu and if the food is up to mark.”

Meet the mess boys

For 45-year-old contractor of the mess, Anoop Kumar, cooperative messes are “convenient” and the peace of mind makes up for the lack of ‘profit’. 

“It’s my fourth year in this mess and I like it—we get the raw materials, I ask the chef to make food, and the helpers go about running other errands like cleaning and serving,” he says. Anoop is compensated for his duties with a salary of Rs 8,500, a residence on the campus, and three meals a day at the mess. “The cook gets Rs 6,000 and each helper Rs 5000; we are a team of nine people here,” he adds.

A sweet taste of cooperation lingers on, and it’s not all that messy after all!