It would be a Herculean task to implement the new menu at hostels as recommended by the government with the existing feeding charges, Tamil Nadu Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Minorities Welfare Hostel Wardens and Teachers Association said.
In order to implement the menu suggested by the government, the existing feeding charges paid by the government per hostel inmate has to be increased from the present ₹1,000 a month for school students and ₹1,100 for college students to at least ₹1,600, taking into account the rise in prices of essential commodities, association president L. Sagadevan said.
Its joint secretary P. Alaguraja said that earlier there was a limited number of tiffin items on the menu for breakfast and dinner. Meals would be served for lunch. Now, additional items are being added to the list of tiffin menu.
There are vacancies in the post of cooks. While some hostels have only one cook, in some others there are no cooks at all. Also, there are vacancies in the post of wardens. Steps should be taken to fill these vacancies.
The wardens should be provided periodical promotion. Apart from these sets of demands, the members also urged the government to improve basic infrastructure at these hostels for the benefit of hostel inmates.
