If canteen shuts, will drop out, says Sabale, from Pune’s Junnar taluka.
On April 5, the Maharashtra government decided to stop awarding mess contracts in its 495 hostels for tribal students. Instead, the government will now transfer funds directly to the bank accounts of the students. Sabale, from Pune’s Junnar taluka, has been staying at a hostel in Pimpri Chinchwad for a year.
What is on the menu of your hostel canteen?
We are served three meals a day. Our breakfast is two eggs, banana, milk and seasonal fruits. Once a week we are given non-vegetarian food and vegetarians get either a sweet dish or a fruit. But quality is a major concern and we have been asking for plain but wholesome and quality food.
Do you think the government’s move will help?
In Pune, canteens charge up to Rs 1,500 a month as subscription charges for a one-time vegetarian meal. So the monthly subsidy
(Rs 3,500 a month for hostels in municipal limits and Rs 3,000 a month for those in rural areas), which the government says will be transferred to us, won’t be enough for three meals. If the canteen is stopped, I will find it hard to continue my education.
What are the food options near your hostel?
Our hostel is in a residential area. There are some restaurants but they are way beyond our means. Then there are some road-side vendors, but nothing for students.
Once the money comes, what arrangements will you make?
I really do not know what I will do. Instead of concentrating on studies, I will have to think of my daily bread.
The government says the move will lead to transparency
The real motive is to close down our hostels. Many of us are from poor families and we have had instances of students withdrawing their scholarship money to meet their family’s needs. That’ll happen in this case too.