JNU canteen owners raise issue over hefty bills

A canteen owner said that the Campus Development Committee (CDC) told them to pay only canteen rent and water bill.
Jawaharlal Nehru campus. (File Photo | EPS)
Jawaharlal Nehru campus. (File Photo | EPS)

NEW DELHI: In a latest development regarding the notice being served to the canteen and dhaba owners of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, the aggrieved owners have submitted an application to the administration, raising their concerns about the payment of bills.

A canteen owner said that the Campus Development Committee (CDC) told them to pay only canteen rent and water bill. He added, “Since there is no electricity meter, the officials told us to pay the bill only after the meter being installed”. He has been working in the canteen for the last eight years and his family members are depended on his income.

Another canteen owner said, “I gave an application stating that I will pay the amount in instalments and the administration needs to reduce the bill amount”. He added that the reason for getting hefty amount is because GST has been added to the amount whereas the administration told them that they won’t have to pay the same.

Kanchan Pandey, 22-year-old PhD student, said that they were in a state of shock when they got to know that many canteen owners have got a bill amounting as much as `20 lakhs. She said, “The canteen has become a part of our campus life and we get food at a very affordable price.”According to Aishe Ghose, President, JNU Students’ Union, “The plan of the administration is to give the spaces to big companies such as Nescafe and those companies won’t regulate prices.” She added that the union has raised concern about the issue to the administration. Ghose also said that a few years back too, the canteen owners had got similar notice but later got a stay order on them.

Rohit Kumar, ABVP JNU President, said that canteens have been an integral part of JNU culture and on humanitarian grounds the amount should be waived off to solve the matter amicably. He also claimed that Aishe Ghose’s version of setting up of Nescafe Company in JNU campus is incorrect. The JNU administration was not available for comment on the issue.

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