Mangalore: BCM hostel students demand better quality of food, facilities

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NM)

Mangalore, Mar 16: The students staying at backward communities and minorities (BCM) hostel at Konaje here staged a protest on Saturday March 16 demanding better quality of food and facilities.

The hostel provides free accomodation and food to 130 post-graduate students from backward communities and minorties, with annual family income less than Rs 11,000.

It is said that students complained about the quality of food and the poor facilities provided at the hostel several times in the past, but in vain. After repeated complaints, warden Srikanth Vanaga had promised to change the menu and quality of food.

However, on Saturday when the students sat down for breakfast, they realized that nothing had been changed and decided to go on a protest.

Speaking to daijiworld, Naveen and Santosh, two of the students said that the food items like vegetables and rice were stale and the store rooms at the hostel were unclean. Even toilets were not maintained properly, he said.

MLA U T Khader along with taluk extension officer of BCM department H A Ram and taluk panchayat officials arrived at the spot and pacified the agitators. Khader assured the students that the menu would be changed and good quality of food would be provided at the hostel. He even promised to change the cook if necessary.

The protest that began at around 8 am and went on till 11.30.