The issue of sub-standard rice being served for lunch and dinner at the hostels in Andhra University appears to be heading towards a flashpoint, with the students alleging scam in the purchase of rice by the authorities concerned in the university.
The issue has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned, including the Registrar, but no action was initiated, lamented a student leader in the campus on Sunday.
The daily consumption of rice by the five hostels in the university such as the hostel for Arts and Commerce for boys, Science hostel for boys, Arts and science hostel for girls in Maharanipeta, engineering boys hostel and engineering girls hostel, is about 2,280 kg.
The total number of students recorded at all the five hostels is 6,164.
Taking the daily consumption of 2,280 kg, in a month it stands to 68,400 kg and for 10 months, excluding two months of holidays, it comes to 6,84,000 kg or 684 tonne. The entire rice is purchased by the wardens without calling for a tender, said a Student JAC leader.
The rice is reportedly procured from the Visakhapatnam Cooperative Central Stores in supermarket at different prices. While the rice is procured at the rate of Rs. 28 per kg for the Arts and Commerce (boys) and Science hostel for boys, it is procured at Rs. 36 per kg for the remaining three hostels.
The student JAC members allege that a survey done by them in the rice market has suggested that the market price of the Rs. 28 variety is Rs. 25 and for the Rs. 36 variety it is Rs. 32. They allege that the rice is procured from the open market and fictitious bills of the supermarket are produced.
However, supermarket officials confirmed to The Hindu that they do not have any variety in the range of Rs.28 and Rs. 36. “All our varieties range between Rs. 45 and Rs. 55,” said an official.
“This aspect needs to be investigated and moreover, the mess bill for boys Arts and Commerce and Science hostels was pegged at Rs. 2,400 per month and we are fed the Rs.28 variety, while for the other three hostels the rice rate is Rs.36 per kg, when the mess bill comes to about Rs.1,900 per month. The question is of discrimination,” said a student.
When this was brought to the notice of Registrar V. Umamaheswara Rao by a section of the media, he agreed to the lack of a tendering system and the sub-standard rice being fed and assured to look into the matter.
What the warden has to say:
According to Chief Warden Prof. Viswanadham, there has been no tendering system since last 25 years and the rice is being procured from the supermarket, since then. “We have negotiated with the supermarket to keep the rice pegged at Rs. 28 per kg since last five years,” he said.
According to Prof. Viswanadham, the university had tried e-tendering in 2015, but it failed as the rates quoted were higher.
“We have to balance between the funds available and the scholarships of the students. The Arts students get Rs. 672 per month, whereas the research scholars get Rs. 25,000 per month. And that is why the Arts and Science students are fed Rs. 28 variety and the research scholars are fed Rs.46 per kg variety,” he said.
