'Why just eateries? grade canteens too'

After Yuva Sena president Aditya Thackeray set out on a drive to improve sanitation in college and school canteens, Shiv Sena includes it in manifesto for Feb 16 civic poll

After 'purging' the syllabus of Mumbai University, Shiv Sena scion Aditya Thackeray has focused his attention on sanitising the canteens in colleges and schools in the city.


Neat job: The Sena has included a proposal for constant hygiene checks
in the kitchens of educational institutes in its civic election manifesto.
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A senior Sena corporator told MiD DAY that the Yuva Sena chief undertook the 'Better Campus' campaign to improve hygienic conditions in canteens in educational institutes last year, the Sena has included in its civic election manifesto a proposal for constant hygiene checks in the kitchens of educational institutes.

"The canteens in schools and colleges are never inspected by the civic authority. If every other eatery and restaurant has been graded, the canteens where students eat should also be checked," said the corporator.

The manifesto promises to make eating environs better for students over the next five years, by asking kitchen workers to wear gloves and hairnets, having a separate scullery for cleaning utensils, maintaining and emptying dustbins regularly, installing water purifiers and so on.

"To begin the process, the civic authority would appoint a committee comprising a health officer, an education officer and an assistant engineer (solid waste management) to scrutinise the canteens.

The committee would inspect the place on parameters concerning hygiene of workers and the place, cooking conditions, dustbins, utensils, etc every six months, and record the details. If there is any infringement, the erring canteen owner's licence would be cancelled," said a senior civic official.

BMC's Standing Committee Chairman Rahul Shewale said, "A notice of motion was cleared some six months back that there should be a grading process for canteens in schools and colleges wherein the BMC would be inspecting and rating the conditions in which the food is served and sold to students."

"We would also carry out the grading process for canteens in hospitals. It is necessary for the health of patients as well," said Shewale.

Grading diners
Restaurants are graded 1, 2 or 3 on the basis of various criteria all of which together carry 100 points. Less than 50 points gives you grade 3. Between 50 and 80 points earns grade 2. And 80+ points confers grade 1.
For instance, general cleanliness after conducting a thorough examination is worth 10 points. A 'No Spitting' board earns you 5 points. Points are allotted for having air conditioning, rest rooms within the premises, and clean uniforms for waiters.

Points are deducted for violations like use of unauthorised space, poor hygiene, filthy uniforms, and so on.