Presidency University re-invites bids for running oldest canteen in campus

Kolkata: The Presidency University in Kolkata has re-invited bids for running the oldest canteen in the campus, known as the Pramodda’s canteen to generations of students after the earlier tender, quoting higher ratesm, triggered widespread protest from the students.

“We are not averse to Pramod Swain; we know he has been part of the Presidency University psyche for ages. But there has to be some transparency in running the canteen by anyone, including Pramodda, since it is a commercial establishment,” a varsity official told PTI. .

“We have brought down the required annual turnover of prospective bidders for the oldest canteen in the varsity from Rs 16.6 to Rs 6 lakh. Now he has to show some accountability as well. He can’t merely cite sentiments and nostalgia in the present situation,” the official said.

“If he now responds to the rebidding process, we promise to sympathetically look into his case. But he is yet to reply to the fresh tender issued on August 10. Can’t he now pay the scale down required the amount? Can we allow someone who had run the canteen without mandatory license for years together, if he does not comply? We wish he first sort out these factors. We will then certainly consider sympathetically within the standard procedures,” the official said. 

“An institution is bigger than an individual even if he had been running a canteen here for 40 years. If there has been a mishap in the canteen due to laxity in certain standard norms, who will be held responsible? Larger interest matters,” he said.

Claiming that he has already secured the trade and food licenses as stipulated by the present administration in the university, Pramod Swain said, “From the earlier tendering amount of Rs 50 lakh quoted in July, now they have scaled that down to Rs 18 lakh in three years i.e. Rs 6 lakh per year. Now they are asking for a balance sheet of three years as well.”

“Now please tell me, if I have to follow so many procedures, how can I keep my food items within the buying capacity of students, many of whom run out of travelling expenses and I chip in to help them. How can I keep the food prices at a minimum for the students if I have to pay Rs 20,000 as monthly rent?” he asked.

Pramodda’s canteen is one of the three canteens in the premier institution with the other two being more recent additions.

Presidency University Students’ Union member and former independent consolidation (IC) convenor Arkopal Dutta said, “Our catchline is ‘canteen bujhina Pramodda ke chai’ (We are not bothered about nitty gritties of the tendering process. We want Pramodda to remain here.”

Sayantan of political science and Sayati of sociology third year, sitting in the canteen, said “Pramodda is synonymous with Presidency.

Post Graduate students Ayesha, Sharmistha and Arkojyoti said, “We feel most comfortable in this canteen where we don’t merely come for refreshments but catch up with friends and we wish Pramod-da to remain with us.”