Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe Faces Staff Revolt Over Two‑Shift Workload

Thirty‑nine employees of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar state food and drug laboratory submitted a written complaint to Maharashtra food and drug minister Narhari Zirwal, accusing FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe of imposing a two‑shift schedule without adequate staffing or resources. The staff say the new schedule forces them to work from 9 a.m. to midnight, including weekends and holidays, despite many vacancies and a lack of technical assistants. They warn that the accelerated handling of food, drug and cosmetic samples could compromise testing quality against Indian Pharmacopoeia, British Pharmacopeia and United States Pharmacopeia standards. The Bombay High Court has also urged the FDA to adopt a more practical approach in its enforcement actions.

The employees demand a return to the previous single‑shift timetable, provision of additional personnel and appropriate compensation for the extra workload, and assurance that sample analysis will not be rushed.