# FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe becomes hero for enforcing food safety 2026-09-28T00:57:14+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Maharashtra FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has become a social media celebrity for leading enforcement drives that uncovered pest infestations, poor hygiene and expired food at restaurants, and large markups on hospital supplies. The 51-year-old civil servant is among a small number of officers praised for cutting through red tape, with hundreds of citizens online wishing similar action in their states. Retired civil servant Kamal Kant Jaswal told the BBC that what should be normal has become exceptional in India's bureaucracy. Critics from the food and hospitality industry have accused Mundhe of selective enforcement, which he has rejected as evidence-driven. Gurugram town planner RS Batth has also faced allegations that his action against illegal encroachments disproportionately affects vulnerable people, though he says it follows town-planning rules. Jaswal noted the tension between law and economics: a street vendor's stall may be illegal but a family's only income source. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Tukaram Mundhe, Maharashtra's FDA commissioner, has become a social media hero for enforcement drives that uncovered pest infestations and expired food at restaurants and inflated hospital supply prices. The BBC frames his popularity as a symptom of India's dysfunctional bureaucracy, where efficiency is the exception. Retired civil servants quoted in the story note the tension between strict law enforcement and economic realities, as street vendors may depend on unauthorised stalls. Critics say Mundhe and Gurugram town planner RS Batth apply rules rigidly, disproportionately affecting the vulnerable, a tension the story explores without taking sides. ## Coverage - bbc.com (government critical) Leads with popularity as symptom of bureaucratic failure - bbc.co.uk (government critical) Leads with popularity as symptom of bureaucratic failure - bbc.co.uk (government critical) Leads with popularity as symptom of bureaucratic failure Tags: Kamal Kant Jaswal, Kiran Bedi, Maharashtra FDA, TN Seshan, Tukaram Mundhe Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/fda-commissioner-tukaram-mundhe-becomes-social-media-hero-for-food-safety-drives/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/fda-commissioner-tukaram-mundhe-becomes-social-media-hero-for-food-safety-drives/#story-in-brief