The menu in many government-run hostels in the State has been downgraded over the past few months following delay in supply of rice and wheat under the Public Distribution System.
Several hostels have not had supplies of rice and wheat that was expected to be supplied in October 2019 to this day and the local authorities have cut out non-veg items, eggs, sweets or fruits to be able to buy the staple grains from open market.
Allocation per student
The Social Welfare Department runs pre-matric, post-matric hostels, residential schools and ashrama schools. The Union government, under the Public Distribution System (hostel scheme) provides rice and wheat for students in two instalments in a year. Hostels get rice at the rate of 10 kg per student per month and wheat at the rate of 5 kg. In the current financial year, the second instalment of foodgrains, which was expected to be provided in October 2019, has not been released so far.
The government has fixed the food expenses for pre-matric hostels at ₹1,500 per student per month, post-matric hostels and residential schools at ₹1,600, and ashrama schools ₹1,400. Hostel wardens have to manage the ration within this amount. Under the scheme, rice was available at ₹5 to ₹6 per kg. But as the supply has been delayed, wardens are procuring rice from open market paying ₹25 to ₹35 per kg.
“When the cost of procuring rice increases by six times, we cannot afford to provide egg, banana, sweets, and non-veg. That has to be cut to meet the expenses,” said a Deputy Director of the Social Welfare Department, who did not wish to be named.
A student at a pre-matric hostel in Hassan district, on condition of anonymity, said that menu had been cut, but the warden had pleaded helplessness and said that they had no option as they had to arrange money for rice.
Another student, who stays at a hostel in Koppal, said that over the past two months, they were using too few vegetables in the food.
R.S. Peddapaiah, Commissioner of Social Welfare Department, in January, wrote to the Additional Chief Secretary (Food and Civil Supplies) of the State government requesting him to send a proposal to the Centre or provide 38,666.34 tonnes of rice and 19,333.16 tonnes of wheat.
‘Supply soon’
When The Hindu spoke to the Commissioner, he said: “Rice and wheat would be supplied to hostels soon.” However, he did not mention any time frame. He denied any cut in the menu. “The hostel staff have been managing with the available stock of rice and wheat. If there are any instances of cutting menu, I will take action against the staff,” he said.
