400 hostel students in Chennai go on hunger strike

Chennai, July 20: Close to 400 students of the Victoria hostel in Chepauk went on a hunger strike on Tuesday, seeking basic facilities, including quality food. Among those protesting were 100 visually impaired and 50 hearing impaired students.

One of the students alleged, "We don't have basic facilities like a proper water supply for the toilets. Until last year when the hostel's canteen was run by a divided system by the students committee, the food was edible. But the situation got worse when the hostel authorities gave the canteen on contract."

Initially, the mess system involved student committee members who buy groceries and vegetables and at the end of each month, the expenses are divided equally among all the students in the hostel.

However, now the canteen was contracted by the college authorities from this year, asking the students to concentrate on studies. One of the students said, "Though the per day food expenditure increased from 50 to 65 for each student, the quality of food served in the hostel slipped from bad to worse."

The students later withdrew their protest after Presidency College Principal and hostel warden T.Pramananda Perumal visited the hostel and sought one week time to fulfill the student's demands.

OneIndia News