MSU: Wanted to provide healthy food

Vadodara: A day after withdrawing its controversial decision on seeking the entire year’s hostel mess fee in advance, M S University on Saturday said that it wanted to introduce a new professionally managed system for hostel students.
On Friday, following massive protest by hostel students at Dhanvantri, the official residence of MSU vice-chancellor, MSU officials announced that they were withdrawing the decision.
“The intention was to introduce new professionally managed system whereby hostel students can be provided hygienic food at affordable rate,” MSU registrar Dr K M Chudasama told media persons on Saturday.
“Currently, hostel students who eat at the hostel mess pay in cash. But at times, it results either in wastage of food or shortage of food as the mess operators cannot estimate the number of students who will eat at the mess,” said chief warden Vijay Parmar.
“The hostel students are charged Rs 60 per unlimited meal. We wanted to introduce a new system whereby at the cost of Rs 80, they would be provided two options of unlimited breakfast and unlimited dinner with provisions of special menu and deluxe menu. Plus, our plan was to allow students prepare their own menu,” he said.
Parmar said that feedback of students was also taken before introducing the new system. “In fact, after a proper survey, we had started collecting their consent from last year. A majority of students had even agreed that such a system would be beneficial,” said Parmar, adding that hostel students who do not eat at the mess either remain dependent on food delivery apps or tiffins.
“We will explain the benefits of the new system to all the students and simultaneously also explore whether the new system can be adopted semester-wise or term-wise,” said Chudasama.