Telangana to crack down on food and drug adulteration with new law

In a significant move to protect public health, the Telangana government has announced plans to introduce a stringent law targeting food and drug adulteration. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed officials to draft comprehensive legislation, which will be debated in the Assembly before enactment.

The proposed Telangana Food Adulteration and Drug Control Act (TGFADCA) comes in response to growing concerns over adulteration in vegetables, fruits, milk, medicines, and other essential commodities. The Chief Minister warned that indiscriminate use of chemicals poses a serious threat to public health, citing artificial ripening of fruits, chemical preservation of vegetables, and adulteration of milk as key issues.

Reddy also highlighted the problem of excessive pesticide and fertiliser residues in agricultural produce, which has affected exports, with some countries rejecting Indian consignments. He raised concerns about the lack of a robust mechanism to verify products labelled as 'organic', which are often sold unchecked.

The proposed law will draw from best practices in countries with strict anti-adulteration legislation. Officials have been directed to study international models and submit a detailed report before the final draft Bill is prepared.

As part of the enforcement strategy, the government will launch new measures on a pilot basis within the CURE limits before expanding statewide. A dedicated toll-free helpline will be set up to receive public complaints, and whistleblowers will be appointed to assist authorities in detecting and curbing adulteration.

The proposed legislation follows an intensified crackdown on food adulteration in Hyderabad this year. Since the launch of the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST), authorities have registered 185 cases, seized 121.87 tonnes of adulterated and unsafe food products, and referred 247 cases for regulatory action in the first 100 days of operations.

Earlier drives led to 64 arrests, 61 cases, and the seizure of 15 tonnes of adulterated food in just one month, exposing major rackets involving fake paneer, ghee, chemically ripened fruits, and other unsafe products.