Centralised kitchens to supply nutritious meals to over 7,000 students in hostels across Tamil Nadu

Centralised kitchens to supply nutritious meals to over 7,000 students in hostels across Tamil Nadu

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CHENNAI: Hostels under the Adi Dravidar Welfare and Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare departments in Chennai, Madurai, and Tiruchy will soon receive food from centralised kitchens. These kitchens will supply food to more than 7,000 students in school and college hostels in these cities. The department will also revise the menu to include more protein and vegetables, ensuring balanced nutrition for students.

The Adi Dravidar Welfare department had already piloted the initiative in 21 hostels accommodating about 2,200 students in Chennai through two centralised kitchens located at Saidapet and Vepery.

The department has now mapped 12 of the 18 hostels run by the BC, MBC, and Minorities Welfare department in Chennai along the same distribution route and will start delivering food to these hostels as well. For the remaining six hostels, the BC, MBC, and Minorities Welfare department will set up a new centralised kitchen.

Officials from the Adi Dravidar Welfare department stated that the initiative aims to standardise food quality and address any complaints of poor food quality in specific hostels.

Previously, the department allocated Rs 1,500 per college student and Rs 1,400 per school student for food, excluding salaries for cooks and other operational costs. Now, the department is spending approximately Rs 1,900 per student, inclusive of all charges.

The ADW department has also called for expressions of interest to implement centralised kitchens in Coimbatore. This will be carried out through firms that have established kitchen facilities, and food will be supplied to 689 students in nine hostels. In Tiruchy and Madurai, the ADW and BC, MBC, and Minorities Welfare departments will collaborate to deliver food from centralised kitchens. This initiative will benefit 686 students in 10 ADW hostels and 1,417 students in 17 BC, MBC, and Minorities Welfare hostels in Tiruchy. In Madurai, it will serve 893 students in 17 hostels and 741 students in 12 hostels.

"All the hostels will continue to maintain their existing kitchen infrastructure to ensure a stop-gap arrangement in case of supply disruptions from the centralised kitchens due to natural calamities. Cooks employed in these hostels are being retained as watchmen or redeployed to other suitable roles," said a senior official from the ADW department.

The department has also developed the application ‘Amudhasurabi’ to enable officials to monitor food preparation and its supply to hostels.