Savitribai Phule Pune University has cancelled the contract of the private operator running its girls’ hostel mess after the Food and Drug Administration suspended the contractor’s licence for 14 days over food safety violations. The university has shifted students to its main refectory while it prepares a fresh tender for the mess.
The FDA initiated action after inspecting the hostel mess facility on Tuesday. A hearing was held on Thursday under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, following which the contractor’s licence was suspended. The suspension was initially temporary and allowed the operator time to rectify the violations before a reinspection.
SPPU, however, decided to terminate the contract instead of waiting for the temporary suspension process to conclude. The decision comes amid concerns over food quality and safety at the university’s hostel mess, which provides meals to resident students.
“We have directed students to have their meals at the main refectory until further notice. We will float a fresh tender for the mess along with those for several shops. The contractor has also been asked to refund students’ fees collected in advance,” SPPU registrar Prafulla Pawar said, according to the report.
The university’s arrangement means that girls’ hostel residents will depend on the main refectory for meals until a replacement operator is appointed. The university has not specified how long the interim arrangement will continue or provided details of the violations identified during the FDA inspection in the supplied report.
The FDA’s action and the university’s contract cancellation place both regulatory compliance and institutional oversight at the centre of the incident. The food regulator’s suspension was issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, while the university has moved to initiate a new procurement process for the mess and several shops.
SPPU’s next stated step is to float a fresh tender. The university has also directed the former contractor to refund fees collected from students in advance, while students will continue using the main refectory until further notice.
