Tukaram Mundhe has a reputation that precedes him. Barely settled into his new chair as Maharashtra’s FDA Commissioner, the IAS officer known for zero-tolerance administration has done what many predecessors didn’t — he’s gone after the gutka mafia.
In a sweeping state-wide blitz, Mundhe’s teams have sealed 28 shelter homes, made arrests across six divisions, and seized ₹6.19 lakh worth of banned tobacco products. Mumbai saw 2 arrests, Pune 21, Kolhapur 2, Aurangabad 8, Nashik 1 — and Nagpur is next in line.
The targets: gutka, pan masala, and other tobacco-based substances that continue to be sold in open violation of law despite repeated bans. Mundhe’s message is simple — the era of looking the other way is over.
But enforcement isn’t his only weapon. He has launched a dedicated mobile app so ordinary citizens can report violations instantly, backed by a toll-free helpline for direct contact with FDA teams.
For a department long criticised for weak field action, the shift is hard to miss. Whether the momentum holds — that’s the question Maharashtra is watching.
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