Nagpur: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) intensive crackdown on food establishments in Nagpur has thrown up a fresh question over the follow-up mechanism adopted after licences were suspended for alleged hygiene violations.
Information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Adv Sundeep Badana shows that the FDA had taken action against 16 food establishments in Nagpur district for violations of provisions under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. Of these, the suspensions of at least 11 establishments were subsequently lifted after the department recorded compliance with the prescribed requirements.
The RTI information, supplied in response to an application dated August 18, 2026, shows that the time taken for restoration varied considerably, from just one day to several weeks after the establishments were found to have violated food-safety and hygiene provisions.
Among the prominent establishments listed in the reply, Hira Sweets had its licence suspended after an inspection on July 6, with the suspension lifted on July 29 after compliance was recorded. Indore Namkeen Products, inspected on July 9, had its suspension lifted on August 24.
The Hut Family Restaurant and Dhaba had its licence suspended following an inspection on July 11 and the suspension was lifted on July 13. Sainath Trading Company, inspected on July 17, secured restoration on August 10.
Similarly, Ashoka Restaurant had its suspension lifted on July 24 after its July 17 inspection, while Machan Restaurant, inspected on July 29, had its suspension lifted on August 7.
The RTI reply also records restoration of the licences of Mohadikar, an establishment at Koradi Temple, Super Caterers at VSPM Academy of Higher Education and Tiwari & Company at IIIT Nagpur after compliance was recorded. In the case of Tiwari & Company, the inspection was conducted on August 13 and the suspension was lifted the very next day.
The reply further shows that the suspension of Kiara Noodles and Trading, inspected on August 14, was lifted on August 18.
The FDA had cited violations of various provisions of Parts II and V of Schedule 4 of the 2011 regulations as the reason for the action against these establishments. However, the RTI response, as supplied to the applicant, largely records the dates of inspection, action and restoration and does not provide detailed documentation of the physical re-inspections or the individual corrective measures verified at each establishment.
The data also shows that action against some establishments was more stringent. The registration of Salim Mutton Shop Chicken Centre at Mahadula was cancelled following an inspection on June 8. The registrations of two establishments listed under Yarana Family Garden Restaurant at Hazaripahad were also shown as cancelled after inspections conducted on July 11.
The licence of Indian Tandoor on Katol Road was suspended on July 12, while the RTI reply does not show a subsequent restoration against that entry. The entry relating to Mother Dairy Milk Franchisee also does not show a restoration action in the information supplied.
The findings assume significance against the backdrop of the FDA’s intensified food-safety enforcement drive under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The department has undertaken a series of inspections and raids across Maharashtra, including action against restaurants, hotels, sweet shops and institutional food establishments.
The RTI data, however, raises a narrower question: how were compliance claims verified before suspended establishments were allowed to resume operations?
The information supplied under RTI records “compliance verified by inspectors” in cases where suspensions were lifted, but does not, in the material available, specify the date and details of the follow-up inspection, the individual deficiencies rectified or the documentary evidence relied upon for restoring each licence.
This becomes particularly relevant in cases where restoration took place within a very short period. In the case of Tiwari & Company at IIIT Nagpur, for instance, the inspection was recorded on August 13 and the suspension was lifted on August 14. Super Caterers at VSPM Academy of Higher Education was similarly shown as having its suspension lifted a day after inspection.
The RTI applicant has also raised a separate concern after observing that an establishment whose registration was shown as cancelled in the FDA’s reply was still operating. This observation could not, however, establish by itself whether the business was operating under another valid licence, whether the cancelled registration related to a particular activity or whether any subsequent regulatory order had been issued.
The issue therefore calls for clarification from the FDA rather than an assumption of wrongdoing. The department could clarify whether physical re-inspections were carried out in every case before restoration, what corrective measures were verified and whether any establishments whose registrations were cancelled subsequently obtained fresh permissions.
The RTI disclosure provides a documented snapshot of the enforcement action and its subsequent outcome. The larger question now is whether the restoration process was backed by equally rigorous on-ground verification, an issue that assumes importance for food safety and consumer protection in Nagpur.
