Bhubaneswar, August 28: The Odisha Higher Education Department has directed government and non-government aided colleges to reduce the use of cooking oil in food prepared at hostels and canteens and avoid serving highly oil-intensive items such as puri, vada and bonda.

The directive follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to citizens to make small contributions to help address the challenges arising from global supply chain and economic disruptions.

In a letter issued to principals of government and non-government aided colleges, the department outlined several measures aimed at curbing cooking oil consumption on campuses.

Colleges have been instructed to advise hostel and canteen authorities to use less cooking oil while preparing meals for students. They have also been asked to limit deep-fried foods and avoid items that require large quantities of oil, while ensuring that meals remain nutritious.

The department recommended greater use of traditional cooking fats and oils such as ghee, mustard oil and groundnut oil instead of imported palm, sunflower and soybean oils.

It also encouraged colleges to involve National Service Scheme (NSS) and Youth Red Cross (YRC) volunteers in organising awareness programmes in local communities. These initiatives would encourage households to reduce their daily consumption of cooking oil.

According to the Higher Education Department, the measures are intended to help mitigate the impact of prolonged disruptions to global supply chains and the wider economy.