3 weeks ago
Maharashtra FDA Chief Says Labs May Run 24x7, Defends Shifts
There is a group in India called the FDA that keeps food and medicine safe for people.
They have special laboratories where workers test food and medicine samples.
The person in charge of this group, Mr. Mundhe, wants these laboratories to be open longer, maybe even all day and all night.
The workers are not happy because they now have to work on weekends and sometimes on holidays.
They told their minister that there is too much work and not enough people to help.
Mr. Mundhe says each worker only has one eight-hour shift a day, which follows international rules.
He says laboratories cannot be closed like regular offices because people need safe food and medicine quickly.
He also said that workers who do not like the new rules can quit their jobs.
The state has been checking more food for bad ingredients, so there are more samples to test.
Faster testing helps keep everyone healthy and safe.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe defended extended laboratory shifts, saying government testing facilities must eventually operate round the clock if needed.
Mundhe said employees unwilling to work under the revised system are free to resign, calling the demand to restore old hours 'completely unacceptable.'
29 officers and employees of the FDA laboratory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar complained to FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal about excessive workload, weekend duties, and staff shortages.
The new two-shift system runs from 7 am to 3 pm and 12 noon to 8 pm, replacing the earlier office hours of 9.45 am to 6.15 pm.
Mundhe linked the increased workload to the FDA's intensified crackdown on food adulteration and unsafe products across Maharashtra.
Employees say an acute shortage of analysts, laboratory assistants, technical personnel, and support staff makes it hard to process samples to pharmacopoeia standards.
- Who
- Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner of the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration, and 29 officers and employees of the FDA laboratory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, who complained to FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal.
- What
- A dispute over extended two-shift laboratory working hours, which Mundhe defended and said could eventually become 24x7 operations.
- Where
- Maharashtra, India — centered on the FDA laboratory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, with the commissioner's statement reported from Mumbai.
- When
- Mundhe's remarks were reported on August 6, 2026; the employees' representation to the minister was dated July 15.
- Why
- To speed up testing of food and drug samples amid an intensified FDA crackdown on food adulteration, while employees complain of excessive workload and staff shortages.
Laboratory Employees' View
FDA Management's View
Working Hours and Work-Life Balance
Laboratory Employees' View
Employees say the new two-shift schedule, with work on Saturdays and occasionally Sundays and public holidays, has disrupted their work-life balance.
FDA Management's View
Mundhe says each employee works only one eight-hour shift a day, no more than 48 hours a week per ILO norms, with one weekly holiday, so individual hours have not increased.
Future 24x7 Operations
Laboratory Employees' View
Employees demanded restoration of the earlier 9.45 am to 6.15 pm office hours, which Mundhe dismissed as 'completely unacceptable.'
FDA Management's View
Mundhe says laboratories cannot operate like regular offices and must eventually run round the clock to ensure faster testing and timely regulatory action.
Cause of Increased Workload
Laboratory Employees' View
Employees say acute shortages of analysts, laboratory assistants, technical personnel, and support staff make it difficult to clear a growing backlog while meeting pharmacopoeia standards.
FDA Management's View
Mundhe attributes the increased workload to the FDA's intensified crackdown on food adulteration and unsafe products, which has sharply raised the number of samples reaching state laboratories.
Key facts
- FDA Commissioner
- Tukaram Mundhe
- FDA Minister
- Narhari Zirwal
- Complainants
- 29 officers and employees of the FDA laboratory
- Laboratory Location
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra
- New Shift Timings
- 7 am–3 pm and 12 noon–8 pm, six days a week
- Previous Working Hours
- 9.45 am–6.15 pm
- Employee Representation Date
- July 15
- Weekly Work Limit Cited
- 48 hours, per ILO norms
Quotes
Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration commissioner
“Each employee works only one eight‑hour shift a day. No one is being asked to work beyond 48 hours a week, which is in line with International Labour Organization norms. Employees are also given one weekly holiday.”
freepressjournal.in
“It is not possible to restrict laboratory timings to office hours. Those who are unwilling to work according to government rules are free to resign and leave.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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