Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Jul 30: M.V Campbell Bay, one of the ships owned by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, has been in news even before it was pressed into service. Once again the ship is in news and obviously again for all wrong reasons. It has been reported that people travelling by the ship are facing a lot of difficulties because of the poor quality of food served onboard.
According to the sources the quality of food served in the Cabin Class Dinning Saloon of the ship is very low and sometimes even stale food is also served which passengers are forced to eat because they don’t have any other choice.
The canteen contractor in every ship needs to follow a specific menu that is prepared and verified by the authorities but in M.V Campbell Bay the canteen contractor is clearly violating all the norms and serves food according to his own wish,it is reported.
The Surveyor of the MMD department who ensures that every safety equipment in the vessel is working and ensures other aspects related to the vessel never check the quality of food served onboard and the higher officials of the ship also does not allow him to meet the passengers traveling in the ship and hence all the facts remain hidden from him.
“As the profit from the canteen is shared by many officials of DSS, nobody really question the canteen contractor, for which ultimately common people have to suffer,” alleged a passenger, who does not want his name to be quoted.
It was also noticed that whenever passengers with higher repute travel by the ship they are served food with the officers of the ship so that the fact of the low quality of food remains hidden from them and to avoid any action against the corrupt practices of the contractor.
A single lunch or dinner serving on M.V Campbell Bay costs Rs. 75 and stale fish and potatoes are served for Rs. 75 which is obtained at very cheap rates from the market. Further the menu for the lunch is usually seen being repeated in the dinner and the left over rice from the dinner is seen in the pongal servings, prepared for the morning breakfast, this condition persists in the upper class of the ship and the quality in bunk class must be more annoying. If the Surveyor who checks the ship before sailing ever gets into the kitchen and taste the food been prepared he will come to know the real truth of stale and sub standard food been served onboard.
Biscuit, Chips, cool drinks, mineral water etc sold by the shop managed by the canteen contractor, in prices which are higher than the MRP clearly violating the norms of the Govt. of India and if someone argues with them they just deny the items to them and in every sailing people are forced to spend more money to buy a product than its actual worth. A Rs. 5 Potato Chips packet is sold for RS. 10 for double price than its actual MRP.
“In every sailing the passengers are exploited in the same way and the canteen contractor are filing their pockets and are also filling the pockets of the officers sitting at higher posts in the Directorate of Shipping Services,” the passenger alleged.
Andaman Sheekha Correspondent is trying to meet the Director and the Assistant Director since last seven days to get comment in this regard but they are never available to comment on this issue. Hope the Chief Secretary or the Lt. Governor will find some time in coming days to pay a surprise visit to the ship.
