ABVP to inspect hostel messes across Gujarat over food quality concerns

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has announced a statewide campaign to inspect hostel mess facilities following reports of students falling ill after consuming food at various hostels across the state.

The campaign, titled “Student’s Raid – Food Quality: A Student’s Priority,” will see ABVP workers visit government, semi-government and university hostels in different districts to assess the quality and hygiene of food and mess facilities.

According to ABVP, recent incidents have been reported at locations including P.P. Savani Hostel in Surat and Ranak Girls’ Hostel in Anand, as well as in Banaskantha, Surendranagar, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Surat and Bhavnagar. The organisation said the incidents have raised concerns over the quality of vegetables and other food items supplied to hostel messes, kitchen hygiene and access to clean drinking water.

During the inspections, ABVP workers will interact with students and gather information on the quality of mess food, drinking water, kitchen cleanliness, food storage, hygiene of utensils and kitchen staff, and the quantity and nutritional value of meals.

ABVP said that wherever deficiencies are found, the issues will be brought to the attention of the concerned authorities through formal representations, with the aim of ensuring clean and nutritious food for students.

Devansh Brahmbhatt, Secretary of ABVP Gujarat, said hostel food plays an important role in the health of students living away from home and that recent food poisoning incidents should not be ignored.

He said ABVP activists would visit hostels across Gujarat to assess the situation directly and raise concerns with authorities wherever negligence related to food quality or hygiene is found. The organisation also said it would stage protests if necessary. DeshGujarat