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Tukaram Mundhe Says Food Safety, Not Fame, Matters Most
Tukaram Mundhe is Maharashtra’s food and drug safety chief.
He said his main goal is keeping people healthy, not becoming famous.
His department has inspected many businesses and taken action against some of them.
Restaurants were warned or had licenses suspended when they broke safety rules.
Mundhe said common problems include poor hygiene, unsafe ingredients and untrained workers.
He also said food delivery companies must follow food safety laws.
Online pharmacies must follow the rules for selling medicines.
He defended his department after a court criticized how it handled a Cipla case.
He said Maharashtra needs more laboratories and drug inspectors to do its work better.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said improving public health, rather than personal popularity, is his priority.
Since taking charge in May 2026, the FDA has acted against 12,083 entities, including 603 suspension orders and 5,269 improvement notices.
The FDA conducted 1,803 inspections of hotels, restaurants and eateries, issuing 948 improvement notices and suspending 199 licenses.
Mundhe said online food platforms are legally food business operators and that online pharmacies must follow drug and cosmetics laws.
He defended the FDA’s handling of the Cipla case while acknowledging a hearing was mistakenly scheduled on a public holiday.
- Who
- Tukaram Mundhe, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, and the FDA he leads.
- What
- Mundhe discussed the state’s food- and drug-safety enforcement, public-health priorities, online platforms, the Cipla case and FDA resources.
- Where
- Maharashtra, including FDA actions involving Pune and establishments across the state.
- When
- Mundhe said the enforcement figures cover the period since he took charge in May 2026; the interview date was not specified.
- Why
- He said food and drug regulation is a public-health issue and that citizens should make public health a major priority.
FDA’s Defense
Criticism and Concerns
Cipla enforcement procedure
FDA’s Defense
Mundhe said there was no procedural mistake in cancelling Cipla Pharma’s drug-sale licenses, describing the issue as a minor error involving a hearing scheduled on a public holiday. He said the notice was reissued.
Criticism and Concerns
The Bombay High Court criticized the FDA’s handling of the Cipla case, raising concerns about the process used before the licenses were cancelled.
Intensity of enforcement
FDA’s Defense
Mundhe said his approach was not aggressive, but simply diligent enforcement of his responsibilities over two decades of public service.
Criticism and Concerns
The crackdown has made Mundhe a high-profile public figure and prompted questions about whether his enforcement approach could expose him to political or administrative pressure.
Key facts
- Entities acted against
- 12,083 since Mundhe took charge as FDA commissioner in May 2026.
- Improvement notices
- 5,269 entities received notices.
- Suspension orders
- 603 suspension orders were issued.
- Restaurant inspections
- The FDA conducted 1,803 inspections of hotels, restaurants and eateries.
- Pharmacy licenses
- 740 pharmacy licenses were cancelled or suspended for violations.
- FDA laboratories
- Four laboratories are being constructed to enhance capacity.
- Drug inspector recruitment
- The Maharashtra Public Service Commission examination was cancelled after a confidentiality breach; seven people were arrested in connection with the question-paper leak.
Quotes
Tukaram Mundhe
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner and senior IAS officer
“What matters to me are issues like public health. This is not about Tukaram Mundhe. This is about India and the goal to improve public health.”
m.rediff.com
“Basically, they are food business operators as per the law, but they don't think so. They have godowns. We have taken action against them.”
m.rediff.com
Sources
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