In April, when Tukaram Mundhe learned that his 90-year-old mother, Asarabai, had passed away, he was on election duty in West Bengal. Even in mourning, the 51-year-old IAS officer chose to depart from convention. He dropped everything and travelled to Tadsonna, his native village in Maharashtra’s Beed district, to perform her last rites. Rather than immersing her ashes in a river as tradition demands, he and his brother planted a banyan sapling over them instead, honouring their mother and the environment in one quiet act.
In his present role as Commissioner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), he has stirred considerable unease by enforcing the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the legislation behind the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), with unusual rigour. Since taking charge of the Maharashtra FDA on 26 May, Mundhe has borne down on hoteliers, restaurateurs, food outlets and canteens alike, regardless of their size or standing, while also stepping up action against gutkha and counterfeit medicines.
“No one has to fear if they are doing what the law says,” he said. Reflecting on his current brief, he said, “Food safety is ultimately about people, not files, inspections, or statistics. The court was similarly sceptical of a “98% clean” rating handed to the Mantralaya canteen, telling the FDA, “The FDA needs to be fair, impartial, and uniform… Show us the photos and videos of the Mantralaya canteen when the inspection was carried out.
Before this posting, he served as Principal Secretary for Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation. Asked about the anxiety his crackdowns have caused across the food and drugs sector, Mundhe was unmoved. “Those who do not go by the law surely will have to fear. I do what a public servant is expected to do with full responsibility. Every safe meal is a family protected. Every action against unsafe food is a step towards protecting someone’s health, dignity and future. He added that “Maharashtra’s experience reminds us that governance earns people’s trust when purpose is clear, action is fair, and compassion remains at the heart of enforcement. Public service is, at its core, about standing with people; especially when they need the system most. As per the FDA, it is spic and span. However, you have submitted photos of the inspection of Poornima restaurant. Be uniform and fair… You cannot target only private properties.”
