FDA Crackdown: 4 Officials Suspended Over Unauthorised Pune Raids
Maharashtra FDA suspends four officials and probes 21 others for conducting unauthorised raids in Pune and Bhiwandi.
In one of the most significant disciplinary actions in the history of the department, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended four high-ranking officials. This drastic move comes amid allegations that the officers conducted unauthorised raids in Pune and Bhiwandi, operating well beyond their legal jurisdiction.
The decision to suspend the officials was executed following the approval of the Chief Minister. A formal government resolution has been issued, marking a stern stance against the misuse of authority within the food safety regulatory body.
The Suspended Officials
The crackdown has hit senior levels of the administration. The four officials who have been placed under immediate suspension are:
- Digambar Bhogawade, Joint Commissioner (Food)
- Yaduraj Dahatonde, Assistant Commissioner (Food)
- Ashok Ilager, Food Safety Officer
- C. R. Swamy, Food Safety Officer
Mass Inquiry Launched Against 21 Others
The purge does not stop with the suspensions. The FDA has initiated a comprehensive departmental inquiry into the conduct of 21 other officials. These personnel, hailing from the Thane and Pune divisions, are now under the scanner to determine the extent of the jurisdictional breaches.
Thane Division Under Probe
The inquiry in the Thane division includes a mix of senior leadership and technical staff:
- Joint Commissioner Shrikant Karkale
- Assistant Commissioner P P Suryavanshi
- Food Safety Officers: K Y Chiplunkar, Shubhangi Jitendra Karne, Ashok Y Ilager, C R Swamy, and Manik Jadhav
- Scientific Officer Santosh Ugle
Pune Division Under Probe
The scale of the investigation is even larger in the Pune division, involving a wide array of officers:
Senior Officials: The list includes Joint Commissioner Digambar Bhogawade and Assistant Commissioners Na Ra Sarkate, Yaduraj Dahatonde, Ba Kodagire, Imran Hashmi, Pan Konkane, R R Kakade, A R Deshmukh, and P V Ambre.
Food Safety Officers: A large group of officers is also facing inquiry, including A J Tonpe, Mangesh Lovete, Sayali Patwardhan, AG Gaikwad, San Sha Sawant, Lohar, Sawale (Assistant), Sonkamble, Hake, Baravkar, and Jhazhurne.
What Happens Next?
The departmental inquiry is designed to scrutinize the exact nature of the raids conducted in Pune and Bhiwandi. The FDA intends to examine whether these operations were carried out with malicious intent or through gross negligence of protocol. Once the inquiry is completed, the department will decide on further disciplinary actions or legal proceedings against the remaining 21 officials.