Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut has formally written a letter to the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe, raising serious allegations of widespread extortion and institutional corruption within the state food safety department operating across Mumbai and Thane. In the official communication, Raut highlighted a disturbing pattern where food safety officials are allegedly weaponising regulatory inspections to threaten hotels, restaurants, and quick-commerce entities with license suspensions under the pretext of compliance violations.
The member of parliament specifically pointed out that the illicit financial demands to resolve or close these regulatory notices have escalated dramatically at the department’s Bandra headquarters, noting a specific case in Thane where an operator was allegedly forced to pay between seventeen and eighteen lakh rupees to restore a suspended license. Furthermore, the letter detailed that routine informal penalties, which previously ranged from two thousand to five thousand rupees, have now surged to upwards of two lakh rupees per establishment, creating immense financial duress for the local business community.
While expressing absolute faith in the personal integrity and administrative track record of the newly appointed commissioner, Raut has strongly urged the leadership to initiate an immediate, thorough, and transparent inquiry into these predatory practices to eliminate internal corruption and restore public trust in the state administrative apparatus.
News Edit KV Raman
