Samples of food items, including rice and tur dal, supplied to students of Post-Metric (Women) Hostel, run by the Social Welfare Department in Hassan, were found unfit for human consumption after a laboratory test. This has prompted the students to demand strict action against officials responsible.
The office of Chief Food Analyst in Mysuru had tested the samples of tur dal, rice, refined oil and tea powder obtained from the hostel kitchen. As per the lab tests, except the refined oil, all the three items were unfit for human consumption. The officers of Food Safety and Quality Authority in Hassan had collected the samples from the hostel on July 16, following a protest by students complaining that the food served there was of poor quality. The samples were sent to the office of Chief Food Analyst, where the divisional level lab is also located. According to the report, the tur dal sample contained living insects, while the rice sample had living insects, hair and other extraneous matter. Similarly, the tea powder sample was found unsafe as it showed the traces of added colour. The Chief Food Analyst, after conducting the tests, sent the report on July 29.
V. Ambarish, State president, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), who shared a copy of the test results with the media in Hassan on Friday, said, “The lab report vindicated the students. However, no action has been taken against the officers responsible so far, ” he alleged.
Threat to students
M. Asha, District Secretary, SFI, who is also a student of the hostel, said that the warden and other officers of the Social Welfare Department had threatened to send her out of the hostel for raising her voice against the poor quality of the food being served there.
When The Hindu contacted Parashurama, Hassan Taluk Social Welfare Officer, he said the department had been taking measures to improve the facilities. “Some students associated with the SFI are creating problems by staging protests repeatedly. We should not have given admission to those students associated with the SFI,” he said. When asked whether was it a mistake by the students to demand proper quality food, the officer added, “Asha, being an office-bearer of SFI, instigated the protests. THis is not expected from students”.
