Spoiled egg curry triggers protest at AU hostel

Students of Andhra University staged a protest on Tuesday, alleging that spoiled egg curry was served at the Arts Hostel mess, prompting the university administration to order stricter monitoring of food quality in hostels.

Students alleged that the egg curry served at lunch in the boys’ hostel smelled foul. Claiming that such incidents had occurred earlier as well, they carried the vessel containing the curry to the Vice-Chancellor’s office and staged a demonstration. Representatives of various student organisations joined the protest and demanded immediate action.

Kusumanjali, Andhra University secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), and Ajay, SFI Visakhapatnam secretary, alleged that students were being served unhygienic food in hostels. They demanded regular monitoring of food quality and steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Following the protest, the hostel warden, principal, police personnel, security staff and university officials visited the hostel mess and interacted with the students.

In a statement issued later, the university said Vice-Chancellor G.P. Raja Sekhar had reviewed hostel administration with chief wardens and directed that the quality of food served in hostel messes, as well as vegetables stored in hostels, be monitored daily.

He instructed chief wardens to ensure active supervision by hostel committees. He also said two students from each hostel mess would participate in the daily inspections and be granted attendance for the duty. He added that the staff concerned would be held responsible for any lapses in food preparation, while action would be taken against suppliers found to have supplied poor-quality ingredients.