Samaras Girls Hostel Students in Vadodara Stage Protest Over Unhygienic Food and Long Wait Times

Vadodara : Students residing in the Samaras Girls Hostel at Vadodara’s polytechnic campus staged a protest on [date], expressing their dissatisfaction with the quality and availability of food served at the hostel mess. The girls alleged unhygienic conditions, including finding ants and caterpillars in their meals, along with excessively long wait times of up to two hours.

Dipti Sadarka, a resident of the hostel, spoke on behalf of the protestors. She claimed that the problems with food quality began after a recent change in wardens. Despite repeated complaints, there hasn’t been any improvement.  Sadarka further highlighted the issue of long wait times, which students attributed to a shortage of staff. “Due to limited staff, we have to stand in line for one to two hours simply to get a meal,” she said, adding that the cramped space at the counter makes it difficult to even finish a meal comfortably.

The primary demands of the protesting students are clear: good quality food provided in sufficient quantity and timely access to clean water.  They also pointed out the inconvenient water supply schedule, with water available only for an hour in the morning, causing delays in getting ready for college. The blame for the situation remains unclear, with students questioning the management’s efficiency.

Another student, Bhumi Lashkar, elaborated on the specific issues with the food. “The rice is often uncleaned, containing dirt. The vegetables are poorly prepared, with oil and water separating, and sometimes even floating insects like caterpillars are found in them,” she narrated.  Lashkar added that students are hesitant to eat due to these concerns and expressed fear of having unknowingly consumed contaminated food.  Furthermore, they criticized the response to feedback, claiming it dismissive and disrespectful. “We’ve been told we shouldn’t judge the food and to simply eat,” said Lashkar.  Adding to the frustration, the lights are reportedly switched off at 9 pm sharp, even if students are still eating.

Hetalben Rawal, the chief in-charge warden of Samaras Hostel, acknowledged some issues.  She explained that ongoing maintenance work might be causing delays in meal service. However, she clarified that two serving counters were opened on the previous day to address the queues. Regarding water supply, Rawal assured that enough water is available with regularly checked TDS levels through a maintained RO system.  She admitted receiving complaints about the smell of vegetables and said that the agency responsible for food service was immediately notified, prompting them to prepare fresh vegetables. A notice has also been issued to the agency for improvement.