Mumbai, Mar 12 (PTI) Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal on Thursday said the department has intensified inspections across the state to curb food adulteration and is taking steps to improve testing infrastructure.
Replying to a discussion during Question Hour, the first hour of the sitting, in the legislative assembly, Zirwal said the FDA has carried out “12,693 inspections across Maharashtra so far”.
During these checks, the department issued 5,776 “improvement notices” to establishments found violating food safety norms, he said.
The minister added that 167 licences have been suspended, while one registration has been cancelled. In addition, 840 cases were disposed of through compounding, and a total fine of Rs 75.34 lakh has been imposed on violators.
Zirwal said the department had earlier faced a shortage of manpower in some districts, which affected the pace of inspections. However, the state government has now recruited 197 personnel, strengthening the department’s enforcement capacity.
He also said steps are being taken to improve testing infrastructure. The food testing laboratory in Nagpur has been shifted to a new facility and work on upgrading the infrastructure is underway. New laboratories in Nashik and Pune are in the final stages and are expected to become operational within the next three months.
The minister noted that the Food Safety and Standards Act is a central law, and any amendments require approval from the Union government. However, the state government is working on proposals to introduce stricter provisions and penalties to tackle food adulteration more effectively.
Zirwal assured the House that the government is committed to strengthening monitoring mechanisms and taking strict action against those involved in food adulteration across the state. PTI MR NR
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