Mess Workers Incentive Fund

The breakfast, lunch, tiffin and dinner were part of every day life at hostel-7 and to make it all happen like clockwork were our dear mess workers. They always had a smile when serving us. Many of them even joined for a nice game of volleyball. I could name few names from my time but that won't be fair to others who I haven't had a chance of knowing. Who won't remember the magnificent gala dinners or the dry grub on Friday or the wonderful Shrikhand Poori lunch before our swim at Ghatkopar. Right from Rajma, to fries, to chicken, to Baigan sabzi, or the choice of morning omelette with either sunny side up, or scrambled, were choices that even the best institutes around the world can't boast about. I even remember on occasions them going to extra lengths in preparing the fish caught in the Powai Lake or even serving Chicoo milkshake using one mixer in the canteen.

Some of them aren't with us any more and leave behind families that could use our monetary help for their kids education or any medical emergencies. Some of them could use recognition in the form of a cash award on the valedictory function. It could be even a lump sum amount on their 25-year anniversary to say thank you for all these years of service. Many of these occasions have come and gone, all unrecognized.

Our mess workers are proud individuals so it is for us to recognize their need and open our hearts as they have lent their service during our wonderful stay. Everyone gets compensated for their work so the thought here is not to compensate them but to thank them in some of form of cash award tied only to feedback from students so as not to make it as an entitlement. The human needs are always bigger than the infrastructure needs but too small for the number of graduated students from H-7 which is placed at more than 1400. We can surely find ways to help them in their golden years for making our years golden during our stay.

Milind took our first proposal for mess workers incentives to Dean-RM (resource management), Prof. Shevgaonkar, and immediately got his approval for annual performance award incentive and concurrence in principle on 2 other incentives which include 25-year anniversary performance award and the education fund for the college going kids of the mess workers. The remaining performance incentive of giving lump sum retirement award is actively under discussion. The combined funding needed for all the incentives is estimated at Rs. 27.5 lakhs. and perhaps the only reservation is establishing a reserve itself that can act as a corpus fund for all these awards. With your support, we can soon make that into a reality.

The quick progress so far speaks to the success of our initiatives. In fact, dean-RM has challenged the alumni association and heritage fund to develop and offer a similar scheme for mess workers across the campus. We all should be proud that the Lady will set the precedent for all other hostels! Again, these are not entitlements but performance awards as there can be reductions in the amounts if the performance fails to meet established criteria. This also helps bring more dignity to these awards and in receiving them, a great sense of achievement to our proud mess workers.

We still have more work ahead of us. The core team will continue to work with the AA and IIT-B heritage fund towards the approval of the remaining retirement performance incentive. The fund will be managed by acting H-7 warden, acting H-7 office bearers, and 5 alumni in monitoring its disbursements. To bring these initiatives to fruition, your fully tax deductible generous donation to IIT Bombay heritage fund is all that is needed to get it off the ground.

 List Of Mess Workers

K Gopinathan,Hall Manager

P.V.Manoharan,Mess Manager

P.C Choudhary,Head Cook

J.R.Ghadi,Cook

I N.K.Chandran, Helper Sr.

K.M.Kandekar,Helper Sr  

C Ramachandran,Helper Sr

Vilas D Karandikar,Helper Sr

P.D.Singade,Helper Sr.

P.R.Chavan, Helper Sr.

B.B.Kharat,Helper Sel.Gr

J.D..Jangle,Helper Sr

T P Roy, Cook

K.P.Balan,Helper Sr

Balu G Patil,Helper Sr

Moses A,Cook Gr.I

V.K.Sukumaran, Cook Gr.I

Shivaji D Palande,Helper Gr.I

K.R.Manoharan,Helper Gr.I

R.B.Wankhede,Helper

Sunil B Ghadi,Helper

Sanjay Y Manjrekar, Cook

Keshav D Bhatt, Cook

Victor A Pinto, Helper