RailEnquiry

New Delhi:It is fresh trouble for the Delhi University vice-chancellor as students under the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) have alleged irregularities in the contract for the new cafeteria at Arts Faculty, Delhi University.What has also left a large section of the students disgruntled is the steep jump in the cost of the food items, with the charge of a usual plate hiked from Rs 30 to Rs 50 and that of the special plate to Rs 80 from Rs 35 after the new canteen started by the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) last week.Accusing the vice-chancellor of 'favouritism', they have demanded a probe into the bidding process by an independent committee and set an affordable price ceiling for the food items. In addition, they also want the contracts to be made public and only the co-operatives run on 'no profit no loss basis' by the karamchari union or students' management should be considered for the cafeterias in colleges and hostels.This is not all, said Maya John, a PhD student and member of the KYS, who has handed over a memorandum to the university administration in this regard.Questioning the terms and procedure of the contract process, KYS representative Sujeet Kumar said, "On what basis the contract was awarded to the IRCTC which, according to the DU administration, was the lowest bidder even as no official advertisement for the tender took place."

According them, the SPIC MACAY (Society for promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture among Youth), the previous private contractor was informed about the non-renewal of its canteen contract by the DU administration last year on the pretext that the building housing the canteen will be renovated.

In response, the DU administration has rubbished all the allegations and assured the students of doing away with the special plate, but the students want their demands to be met in totality.