Over the last few months, more than a thousand food safety inspections have taken place across Maharashtra. And one bureaucrat's name has been coming up in the headlines often – Tukaram Munde. No wonder the man gets a standing ovation from the crowd wherever he goes. So, let's understand Tukaram Munde and his work.
Munde Tukaram Haribhau is a 2005-batch IAS officer who joined through direct recruitment. Munde’s educational qualifications include a postgraduate degree in Political Science, along with a UGC-JRF in the same subject. In his 21 years of service, this 51-year-old has been transferred 25 times. He has been posted in 18 locations so far.
Now that he is the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Commissioner in Maharashtra, he has brought changes to the action plans. The first on his list is surprise inspections, followed by immediate action, with no warnings. This led to the seizure of food worth over ₹55 crore in a statewide operation, while the licences of around 60 restaurants were suspended.
His team rattled food businesses regardless of their years of operation, reputation or influence. He also imposed fines on Bollywood celebrities for promoting restricted food products.
Munde’s food safety action isn’t confined to restaurants alone. Religious establishments, railways and other such establishments that serve food to the public are also on his radar. The visuals of the raids, press briefings and related actions keep surfacing on social media as posts and reels, making him one of the most searched names these days.
Munde being transferred 21 times is just the tip of the iceberg. His strict actions have earned him praise as well as death threats. While working as Assistant Collector in Deglur, Nanded, Munde faced verbal attacks and death threats after clamping down on illegal sand mining in the Godavari River. He received a letter in red ink warning that ‘blood will spill’. Eventually, he was transferred within five months due to political pressure.
During his tenure as District Collector in Solapur in 2016, he continued raids on illegal sand mining. Once, while pursuing an illegal sand mining truck, his vehicle was rammed by minors allegedly attempting to kill him. The fearless Munde not only escaped unhurt but also resumed his duty the very next day without a pause.
In 2016–2017, while serving as Municipal Commissioner, Munde held a probe into illegal constructions and encroachments. He ordered major demolition drives, which triggered immense political friction. The outcome was Munde being ousted through a rare no-confidence motion passed by politicians.
Yet, Munde’s take on the transfers he has received makes him stand out. He simply brushed them off by saying, “More transfers mean more opportunities to bring about positive changes.”
Even though all of his actions have attracted attention both physically and digitally, the recent food-related raids helped him earn more than 3.8 million followers on Instagram. It’s not just private entities that come under his scrutiny but also public services.
According to food safety laws in India, food businesses are usually given time to fix breaches before their licences are cancelled. In that regard, too, Munde has been called ‘high-handed’ by the courts. Munde retorted by saying that this applies only to extreme cases and not minor violations. He makes it clear that if systems abide by the laws and regulations, he or his team won’t intervene.
There was an instance of the Bombay High Court imposing a hefty fine of ₹5 lakh in compensation in a case involving a sweets shop licence, even when the shop had adhered to the laws 98 per cent.
Soon after, Munde’s team raided the state’s High Court complex and flagged the violations.
That was a solid move, proving that under Munde’s surveillance, everyone is treated equally.
His actions don’t just get limited to sealing shops or giving warnings. It was the ‘Munde effect’ that led many food suppliers to stop serving food wrapped in newspapers, avoid synthetic dyes and ban the use of analogue paneer or non-dairy cottage cheese substitutes.
It is under his guidance that those providing food to schools, colleges and other educational institutions are required to obtain a proper licence first. Foreseeing a better future for a generation, he banned the sale of food with high fat, sugar or salt content within 50 metres of schools.
So now, one man is being hailed for doing his job properly, and the system is forced to ask: what if everyone does it? That’s where Munde is creating lasting changes. He might not be able to lead the whole country, but his words and deeds will ignite a fire in young minds, at least to build a country that has a healthy mind and a healthy gut.