The food licence of the girls’ hostel dining hall at Savitribai Phule Pune University has been suspended and the facility shut after Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration found live cockroaches, poor hygiene and missing food-safety records during an inspection.
The dining hall was operated by M/s Maratha Caterers, owned by Akash Mohite. According to the report, students had repeatedly complained to the university administration about the quality and safety of meals served at the facility. Their complaints allegedly included cockroaches, insects and objects such as staples and pins being found in food and breakfast.
After the students approached the FDA directly, officials inspected the university’s dining facilities. The inspection of the girls’ hostel dining hall found live cockroaches in the food preparation area and its surroundings, the report said. The spaces used for cooking and storing food were also found to be extremely unhygienic and hazardous to health.
The FDA further identified serious shortcomings in general cleanliness and in the personal hygiene of workers handling food. Required records and documents related to food safety were not available for inspection, according to the findings reported by Sakal – Pune.
The action was taken against the dining hall operated by M/s Maratha Caterers, resulting in the closure of the girls’ hostel facility. The report said the FDA suspended the licence of the food establishment. A statement from the university administration was not available despite attempts to contact the relevant officials.
The episode places responsibility for student food safety beyond the immediate condition of a single kitchen. University administrations that outsource food services still have to maintain effective oversight of preparation areas, storage, worker hygiene, complaint handling and licensing compliance. In this case, students’ complaints reached the food regulator after they reportedly received no substantive action from the university.
Abhishek Shelke, president of the University Students’ Struggle Action Committee, welcomed the FDA’s action over what he described as serious complaints about food quality. He also called for permanent measures to provide safe and nutritious food to students, including an urgent decision on starting a centrally managed dining facility under the university’s control.
The immediate regulatory action has shut the affected dining hall, while the university’s response on alternative food arrangements and longer-term supervision remains unclear. Further steps will depend on the FDA’s action against the caterer and the university administration’s decision on food services for hostel residents.
