Maharashtra FDA chief warns staff over negligence during food safety drive

• Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has warned staff that negligence or misconduct during enforcement work will bring action.

• He said vigilance inquiries had begun following complaints about some officers, and proposals for action had been submitted.

• The warning comes amid statewide raids targeting adulterated food and illegal gutkha sales.

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has warned officials that they could face action for neglecting their duties or compromising enforcement operations, as the department continues its drive against adulterated food and illegal gutkha sales. He also said vigilance measures had begun following complaints about officers.

In an interview with a Marathi television channel, Mundhe said there was no reason to excuse deliberate misconduct or a failure to carry out official duties. Action, he said, would follow without waiting for the wider enforcement drive to conclude.

Mundhe cited a raid conducted at 4 am under the direction of the commissioner’s office. Local officers would also have to explain why they had failed to detect the activity in their jurisdiction, he said. Transport operators and dealers, as well as food business operators, could be held responsible for violations.

The commissioner said he had received specific complaints concerning FDA personnel and initiated vigilance inquiries. Proposals for action against some officers had already been submitted, particularly over alleged failures to perform their duties. He distinguished genuine mistakes from deliberate wrongdoing, which he said would not be excused.

Mundhe said he had also asked state intelligence and vigilance agencies, both verbally and in writing, to step up scrutiny of FDA staff during the ongoing operations.

Since he took charge, the FDA has carried out raids across Maharashtra involving suspected adulteration of paneer, milk and sweets, food served by hotels and restaurants, and the illegal sale of gutkha.

With IANS inputs