You can call it the quarter-to-three effect on most days in the afternoons. It starts with one among the group complaining about hunger pangs and in the space of the next few minutes, almost the entire section swarms on the canteen, looking for food.
Workplaces can make even the most well-mannered people behave oddly around food at times. Lunch time foibles galore even for employees of the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat at Velagapudi. But the canteen that serves food to them has apparently failed to rise to their food-craving levels if the barrage of complaints is any indication.
Women employees seem to be the worst hit. Away from home and staying in a temporary hostel facility provided to them at the Rain Tree apartments, they work late till night at times but are forced to eat ‘uninteresting’ food.
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Sources said employees were happy till food service was handled by the Akshaya Patra Foundation in the CRDA-run canteen. But ever since the employees’ cooperative society has taken over, complaints have started pouring in.
High price despite subsidy
“Besides other factors, rates are high. I see no reason for the canteen which is run on all facilities provided by the government, to charge such high rates. The Civil Supplies department provides groceries besides other subsidies. This is in addition to the Rs. 10 lakh grant given by the government and still the canteen charges Rs. 50 per meal,” rues K.V. Krishnaiah from the Revenue wing.
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The kitchen in the canteen is not yet ready necessitating the canteen people to bring food from outside. Sources said each plate is acquired for Rs. 30 and sold at Rs. 50. While the canteen is meant only for the Secretariat members, food is served to outsiders as well for Rs. 60 per head.
APNGOs Association president Ashok Babu admits that employees face food woes.
“We have also asked the government to reopen the CRDA canteens at Gollapudi and Ibrahimpatnam as each cluster has nearly 1,000 employees,” he says.
Transport problem
Transport is yet another area of concern, especially for women employees. The AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operates buses.
“But if you miss the bus at the designated time, it becomes really difficult to reach the workplace in time,” says Varalakshmi, who commutes from Rain Tree Park to her workplace every day.
Power fluctuation is yet another problem, says Murali from the general administration wing.
“Despite opting for high-speed wifi, computers run very slow,” he says.
“The government is doing its part on a priority basis. It may take some time for things to get stabilised,” says Mr. Ashok Babu.
Male employees, meanwhile, have their own grouse.
“Women have been given comfortable hostels and we men are left to fend for ourselves at a time when rents are going through the roof,” complains a disenchanted employee.