Palghar tribal students protest over stale food, demand scrapping of central kitchen system

Hundreds of tribal students from residential schools in Maharashtras Palghar district staged a protest demanding that the central kitchen system be scrapped over allegations that stale and unhygienic food was being supplied to studentsThe students raised concerns about the risk of food poisoning particularly because meals prepared at a centralised facility are transported over long distances before being served at residential schoolsThe protesters marched and later staged a sitin outside the Tribal Development Project office in the Jawhar area on Tuesday seeking action on the quality of food and other issues affecting students at residential schools run by the Tribal Development DepartmentStudents raise concerns over central kitchen systemThe students alleged that the centralised kitchen system was affecting the quality of meals served at residential schoolsAccording to the protesters food prepared at a central facility is transported to schools located at considerable distances They claimed that the meals sometimes reached the schools in an inferior stale or unhygienic conditionThe students said the long transportation time raised concerns over the safety and freshness of the food particularly in the absence of adequate measures to maintain its quality during transitThey demanded that the authorities reconsider the system and take steps to ensure that students receive fresh and hygienically prepared mealsProtest held outside Tribal Development officeThe students marched to the Tribal Development Project office in the Jawhar area and staged a sitin to draw attention to their concernsThe demonstration focused not only on food quality but also on what the students described as administrative neglect and shortcomings in basic facilities at residential schoolsThe protesters submitted a 13point charter of demands to the project officer outlining their concerns and seeking improvements in the functioning of the schoolsStudents submit 13point list of demandsThe 13point charter raised issues concerning the management of residential schools and the availability of basic welfare and other facilities according to the studentsThey alleged that problems had persisted because of administrative shortcomings and inadequate attention to the needs of students living and studying at the schoolsThe students called for action on their demands and sought greater accountability from the authorities responsible for managing the residential school systemThe protest also highlighted concerns over the arrangements for providing food to students who depend on residential schools for their daily mealsProtest called off after officials give assuranceThe students initially refused to withdraw their protest and said they would continue the agitation until their concerns were addressedOfficials later assured the protesters that steps would be taken to improve the quality of food being supplied to the residential schoolsFollowing the assurance the students called off the demonstration officials saidThe students however had sought broader action through their 13point charter covering issues beyond food quality and relating to the overall functioning and facilities at the residential schoolsWith inputs from PTI