Fadnavis Backs Mundhe, Says FDA’s Food Safety Crackdown Will Continue
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra FDA to pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation to a Pune-based sweets retailer after the regulator kept the business suspended despite a report showing 98 per cent hygiene compliance.
Mumbai: A day after the Bombay High Court penalised the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday backed FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe’s aggressive crackdown on food adulteration, saying the campaign would continue as food adulteration poses a serious threat to public health.
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra FDA to pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation to a Pune-based sweets retailer after the regulator kept the business suspended despite a report showing 98 per cent hygiene compliance. The order came amid growing scrutiny of the FDA’s enforcement actions under Mr Mundhe, who has led raids and suspended the licences of several prominent restaurants and hotels across Maharashtra.
Last week, the FDA also issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their endorsements of Vimal Elaichi.
Responding to a question about the FDA’s continuing crackdown, Mr Fadnavis said action against food adulteration was necessary and could not be compromised.
“It is good that action is being taken against food adulteration. If somebody tampers with the quality of food, it cannot be tolerated,” Mr Fadnavis said.
“If anyone breaches food safety standards, it threatens the lives and health of people. Therefore, strict action is needed in such cases. I am very happy that such action is being taken and it will continue,” said Mr Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio.
The Chief Minister’s remarks in support of Mr Mundhe came as the Maharashtra FDA faced increased scrutiny over its enforcement methods. The Bombay High Court has, on several occasions, criticised the regulator’s approach, describing some of its actions as excessively harsh and referring to certain measures as “strange policies”.
Mr Mundhe is currently leading the FDA’s “Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra” campaign, which has drawn attention following raids that allegedly uncovered hygiene violations at restaurants and other food establishments across the state.
The Maharashtra FDA had previously attracted widespread attention nearly 12 years ago when Mahesh Zagade, who served as FDA Commissioner from 2011 to 2014, led raids on medical shops across the state.