On students request, PU mulls resuming cooperative mess
Following requests from over 100 students, Panjab University is mulling over the idea to relaunch the system of cooperative mess in Boys Hostel No. 3, which was being managed by the students on no-profit, no-loss basis. While a hostel resident is currently spending over Rs 2,400 every month on mess food, he will have to spend around Rs 1,800 if the cooperative mess system is revived.
According to the hostel warden and a former mess secretary, if the system restarts the cost of a meal will significantly drop from current Rs 41-45 to Rs 29-33 for hostel residents. The mess, which was being run in Boys Hostel No. 3 on the campus around 1984, ceased operations after Covid.
To run the system, initially money will be provided from the hostel funds by the warden and after students start paying bills, money will be refunded to the hostel kitty. According to authorities, a minimum of 70 students are required to start the mess and it is better to have as many students as possible.
It is a common scenario in PU of students complaining against mess contractors for poor quality of food, lack of variety and improper upkeep of the mess and even protesting over hike in diet cost, the situation shall improve if the cooperative system restarts as in that case a committee constituted from among the hostel residents will be responsible to procure the ration, curate the menu and oversee the preparation and cleanliness as well.
“Everyone here liked the system and the students made sure that top quality ration was procured for preparation. Since many complaints over hygiene and quality of mess have been pouring in lately from across the campus, residents have requested us to bring back the old system,” said Dr Sucha Singh, Boys Hostel No. 3 warden.
Commenting on the development, Dean Student Welfare Amit Chauhan said that deliberations were on and if the students decide to take the initiative, the authorities would certainly back them. “A cooperative mess is a student-run show and they bear the responsibility. Not just in Boys Hostel No. 3, the system can be adopted in other hostels as well,” Prof Chauhan added.
