Former Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, TS Singhdeo, has appealed Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to boost the daily mess budget for students in state’s hostels and Ashramas. For the last three years he has been requesting a revision of the food budget, but has not received any response, but the prices of essential commodities have increased considerably.
In a letter to Chief Minister, Singhdeo pointed out that the hostel authorities had been facing various problems in supplying healthy balanced meals at the current rates. He also pointed out several demands of the hostel superintendents and requested the government to take positive action to improve hostel facilities for students belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) groups.
The Chhattisgarh State Level Hostel Superintendents Association has been protesting against the substandard facilities provided to students living in hostels and ashramas, especially in remote and rural areas, Singhdeo said. The association has also formulated five demands related to the problems of superintendent cadre.
The association launched a token strike for a day on November 12, 2026, demanding to the government to take steps and intervene in the protest.
Singhdeo said in his letter that three years ago the per capita amount for a meal was given without any increase. The price of basic food commodities, such as pulses, rice, edible oils, vegetables, spices and fuel have risen significantly during this time.
The existing budget is increasingly making it difficult for the hostel authorities to offer a student adequate and nutritious food, he said.
Singhdeo said in response to the possible impacts of deficient nutrition that lack of nutrition both in quantity and quality may have adverse effects on the physical growth; immunity and health of children. This may impact their academic achievement as well.
He expressed hope that the state Government will consider the increased prices of necessaries at the hostel mess and revise the hostel mess budget. Singhdeo stressed the need of the day for the Government to pay attention to the students’ health and the proper nutritional value of food, in particular, students from economically weaker sections and Tribal communities.