Mundhe’s son booked restaurant, staff alarmed

Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has revealed that his son’s birthday dinner reservation caused a stir after restaurant staff spotted the Mundhe surname. In an exclusive interview with NDTV Profit, Mundhe said the incident happened two days ago when his son booked a table online. The staff grew alert, wondering if the commissioner himself was coming, and the concern reached one of Mundhe’s friends, who called to ask about the reservation.

Mundhe said he does not usually dine out, but when he does, his mind focuses on food safety checks. He attributed the restaurant’s reaction to the intensive food safety raids his department has conducted, which have made establishments wary of the Mundhe name. He added that the FDA suspends licences only when non-compliance threatens public health, and he would prefer all food businesses to follow the law so raids become unnecessary.