Dead rats, larvae found in food at Chandrapur college hostel, students go on hunger strike

Students living at the hostel of Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering in the Babupeth area of Chandrapur city have taken up an aggressive protest, sitting on the college steps and refusing food, after being served filthy meals from the hostel mess for an extended period.

According to the hostel students, extremely poor quality food had been served in the mess for many days. A few days ago a cockroach was found in a food plate. Dead larvae then turned up at breakfast, and insects were found in dal. The matter did not stop there. Today, rat droppings and the remains of a dead rat were found directly in the food, and students' anger boiled over.

Alarmed at the danger to their health, the students decided to completely boycott the mess food. For the past 24 hours, many students have not touched their food and have continued a strong protest against the college administration. The students have remained seated on the college steps without touching food, and are firm that they will not back down until the administration takes notice.

Hostel students had complained to the administration many times before, but the situation did not improve at all. The students have made the serious allegation that instead of taking action against the negligent contractor supplying the food, the college administration has been taking the contractor's side. The protesting students are firmly demanding that this contractor be removed immediately and that they be given clean, safe and quality food. Repeated complaints having led to no action against the contractor has only increased the students' resentment toward the administration.

Meanwhile, without recognising the seriousness of the matter, the college administration has given an irresponsible and strange explanation. According to the administration, large-scale cooking is done every day for 300 to 400 female students at the hostel, and finding an insect while cooking food on such a large scale is a normal occurrence. The administration appears to have tried to play down this serious incident by saying such things happen when food is prepared for such large numbers.

In this matter, which is directly linked to the students' health, the protest is likely to intensify further if the college administration does not take concrete steps. For now, the students are firm on their demand and have declared their resolve to continue the protest until the contractor is changed and clean food is guaranteed.