FDA, district team raid Gondia sweet unit linked to Shalimar Hotel, seize 200 kg substandard khoa

A joint team of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the district administration carried out a surprise raid on Tuesday morning on a sweet-making unit of Shalimar Hotel in Gondia. The unit is said to be located in the Kudwa area. The action is being described as the biggest and strictest in the district so far against profiteers who play with people's health.

The administration had got wind of a sweet factory (Shifa Dairy) running quietly behind Vijay Medical Store in the city's Lohia ward. The premises were then surrounded after planning. At 8.30 am on Tuesday, when work on making sweets for Shalimar Hotel was in full swing inside the factory, a team of officials led by FDA Deputy Commissioner Amruta Shirke and Additional District Magistrate Abhijit Ghorpade cordoned off the entire premises. The workers and operators present there were alarmed by the sudden action.

Officials were taken aback by what they saw inside. A large quantity of rasmalai lay ready amid filth and unhygienic conditions. Officials also found 200 kg of poor-quality khoa, suspicious ghee in a pan and several kinds of liquid chemicals used in paints and colouring. The team seized a large quantity of adulterated material and sealed samples for forensic and laboratory testing.

Officials also seized foul-smelling namkeen, 3 domestic gas cylinders and two two-wheelers, with goods worth lakhs of rupees in all. The panchnama was drawn up on the spot by the FDA and the Ramnagar police station team. The panchnama, search and seizure that began in the morning continued for several hours.

According to sources, the entire campaign is being run under the direct guidance of senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe, known for his strict administrative style. Team officials said clearly that no influential person who compromises public health would be spared, and that the raids would continue through the festival season.

As news of the action against a factory linked to a well-known name like Shalimar Hotel spread in the city, there was panic among the syndicates that adulterate food items and sweets. Local residents have praised the administration for its swift and impartial action. Officials have indicated that several more such premises across the district will be cracked down on in the coming days.