FDA suspends licences of Hotel Vaishali and Rupali Restaurant on Pune's FC Road after hygiene inspection

Two well-known restaurants on Fergusson College Road in Pune have been ordered to stop all food-related work. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected them on November 13 and found several violations.

The food business licences of Hotel Vaishali and Rupali Restaurant, both in Shivajinagar, have been suspended with immediate effect under the FDA's "Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra" campaign. The ban covers dine-in, takeaway, parcel and home delivery. Neither restaurant can resume business without fixing the shortcomings, passing a fresh inspection and obtaining written approval from the department.

At Hotel Vaishali, Food Safety Officer Ajinkya Subhash Umap recorded 58 marks out of 98, which put the restaurant in the non-compliant category. The inspection raised objections over where food was prepared and stored. A freezer holding raw material was found next to the women's toilet, while the griddle used for dosa and uttapam was kept near the men's toilet. Washed utensils were also kept on a table outside the toilet.

The inspection also found that cooked rice, boiled potatoes and other prepared items were kept in an open corridor. Idli and dosa batter was being prepared in an open area. Chopped raw vegetables were placed directly above ready-to-eat items, creating a risk of cross-contamination.

Other shortcomings included the absence of insect-proof screens on kitchen doors, no temperature records, an outdated or missing drinking water test report, and no valid FoSTaC-trained supervisor. According to the FDA, Vaishali was issued a notice after a previous inspection in June 2026, but serious lapses persisted in the latest check.

Rupali Restaurant too failed to meet food safety requirements. Food Safety Officer A. D. Zhanjurne said the kitchen was not properly secured, water had collected, cleaning practices were poor and waste was not being disposed of properly.

The inspection also recorded open and unlabelled food items, no use-by dates, and raw and cooked items not being kept separate. Temperature monitoring records and key documents, including the Food Safety Management System plan, standard operating procedures and FoSTaC training records, were not available.

Assistant Commissioner (Food) Syed Imran Hashmi ordered the suspension of both licences under the guidance of Joint Commissioner Shrikant R. Karkale. The FDA has made clear that before resuming any food activity, the restaurants must meet the prescribed standards and obtain formal approval.