Mumbai, Sep 29 (IANS) : Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on Tuesday hit back at Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut’s allegations of systemic extortion within the regulatory body, stating that the claims are generic, lack concrete details, and that no formal letter has been received by his office to date regarding this.
The exchange follows a letter written by Raut, in which he alleged that FDA field officers were exploiting Commissioner Mundhe’s aggressive enforcement drive to blackmail local businesses, hoteliers, and quick-commerce operators.
Responding to the publicised charges, Mundhe clarified that his office has not received any official copy of Raut’s letter and that he only became aware of the matter through media reports.
Expressing openness to scrutiny, Mundhe urged the lawmaker or any affected business owners to provide verifiable facts rather than general statements. “I am really thankful to him (Sanjay Raut). My only request to him is that if he has specific details, he should share them with me or with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) — whichever agency he trusts. If any of my officers are engaging in corruption, please bring it to my notice with complete details,” he said.
Addressing concerns that small and medium-scale hoteliers fear retaliation or further harassment if they report corrupt officials, Mundhe assured stakeholders that anonymity is protected. He noted that the official FDA complaint portal automatically masks the complainant’s identities, and promised that any direct disclosures made to him would remain strictly confidential.
Earlier, in his communication addressed to Mundhe, Raut commended the commissioner for initiating widespread crackdowns against food adulteration and unhygienic restaurant conditions since taking charge on May 25. However, he alleged that a dark side to these enforcement actions has emerged.
According to Raut, Designated Officers (DOs), Assistant Commissioners, and Food Safety Officers (FSOs) are threatening hotels, restaurants, and warehouse operators with immediate license suspensions to extort large sums. The rate to settle or close an inspection notice allegedly rose from Rs 10,000-Rs 12,000 prior to Mundhe’s tenure to Rs 75,000-Rs 2,00,000 following the widespread panic created by recent enforcement raids.
Raut designated the FDA headquarters in Bandra (Mumbai) and the regional FDA office in Thane as major nerve centres for an unlawful collection drive.
He alleged that two Designated Officers in Thane demanded Rs 17-18 lakh from a quick-commerce enterprise to restore a suspended license. Raut argued that officers are skipping mandatory statutory steps — such as issuing improvement notices, granting compliance windows, and conducting formal hearings — in favour of summary suspensions based on unverified complaints.
Since Mundhe assumed charge of the department in late May, the Maharashtra FDA has undertaken an unprecedented enforcement wave across the state. During May-August, the FDA inspected 12,083 establishments, issued 5,269 improvement notices and suspended 603 licences.
While Mundhe maintains that strict regulatory oversight is essential for public safety and food quality, the political friction highlights mounting pressure from business groups, claiming that routine inspections are turning into avenues for bureaucratic exploitation. However, the FDA Commissioner has reiterated a zero-tolerance policy towards administrative corruption, provided actionable proof is submitted.
