The Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare (ADTW) department on Thursday rolled out centralised food distribution through a private contractor for 19 department-run student hostels in Chennai, covering around 2,800 students.
Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare N. Kayalvizhi Selvaraj flagged off the vehicle for food distribution from Government Adi Dravidar Welfare College Girls Hostel in Vepery, which will function as one of the two centralised kitchens where food will be prepared for all the hostels. The other kitchen is operational at M.C. Rajah College Boys Hostel in Saidapet.
Food was earlier prepared by cooks working in respective hostels. Concerns had been raised in the past about the quality of food in some of the hostels. The new project was launched on a pilot basis on January 1 and more hostels were gradually included. On Thursday, food supply for all three meals for the students in all the 19 hostels commenced from the centralised kitchens, officials said.
The project was launched based on the announcement made by Ms. Selvaraj in the Assembly during the 2023-24 Budget session. Tenders were floated four months ago for selecting a contractor. The menu, which included eggs for at least five days and chicken or mutton on one day, will be decided by the department.
G. Laxmi Priya, Secretary, ADTW department, said that the vehicles deployed by the private contractor for food distribution have been fitted with GPS devices to monitor timely distribution of food. An application is also being developed on the lines of the one used by Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme to monitor all aspects of the food preparation and distribution in an integrated manner.
She said that work was also under way to install biometric attendance systems in the hostels. If the new food preparation and distribution system proved to be successful, she said the department will consider extending it to other cities in Tamil Nadu. She added that the move will not result in any hostel cooks losing their jobs as they will be used for distribution of tea and snacks in the evenings and as watchmen in the hostels.
