New Delhi: While provision of quality, hygienic and nutritious food has always been a concern for parents in schools, food safety and standards has not found any place in the canteens of the prestigious Delhi University either.
The canteens in the varsity have been flouting guidelines issued by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) with majority of them running without a valid FSSAI license.
However, on ground, the canteens do go through the routine checks and inspections by a general university body.
The shocking facts came to light in response to an RTI query filed by law faculty student Mohit Kumar Gupta through advocate Ms Shashi. The assistant registrar (AR) (estate) had made the reply on August 28 with all tender documents and agreements.
“DU has not laid down rules and regulations for food safety and precaution. Further, other contents regarding food safety and precaution are mentioned in the cafeteria services tender inviting notice,” the reply stated.
“The agreements state that there is no need of licence and when I asked them about the copies, they simply said that the information for the same cannot be disclosed. There are even illegal and unauthorised canteens running in Arts and Law faculty,” the final year law student said. In October 2016, the UGC had made it mandatory for all the messes and canteens running in varsities and colleges to get a licence from FSSAI under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, while ensuring to follow the guidelines.
In another response, SRCC administrative officer/PIO stated, “Any statutory authority or DU has never issued any guidelines/rules which prescribe bearing of FSAI license as mandatory condition for grant of contract for food operating canteen.” Mr Gupta also alleged that canteens are using domestic subsidised LPG cylinders for commercial purposes, which is a punishable offence.
Speaking to this newspaper, the general secretary of DU canteens, said, “We will check the papers and then only will be able to tell whether our canteen falls under the guidelines as the canteens were established long time back. So far, we have not received any such scrutiny regarding safety,” he said.
