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There is a name in the administrative corridors of Maharashtra, on hearing which everyone from adulterators to careless officers start sweating. We are talking about senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe. These days, Tukaram Mundhe, who is holding the charge of Commissioner of Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is once again in the headlines for taking swift action against the syndicate of food items and fake medicines. His fearless style of working, taking decisions without any political pressure and not compromising even an iota on the rules – this is his real identity.

The entire career of IAS Tukaram Mundhe has been an example of administrative discipline and strict decisions. He has been transferred 25 times in nearly 21 years of service. Many times the situation was such that he could not even complete his normal tenure in any district or department and remained without posting for months. But the interesting thing is that despite this long list of transfers, his credibility was never affected. Wherever he went, he became a favorite of the public and took strict steps to correct the flaws in the system.

Journey from labor in fields to 20th rank in UPSC without coaching

Tukaram Mundhe's childhood was full of struggles. Born in a simple and poor farmer family of Beed district of Maharashtra, Mundhe saw the drought, poverty and plight of farmers of Marathwada very closely. The financial condition of the family was such that in his childhood he had to toil in the fields with his parents and sell vegetables in the weekly markets. Waking up at 2 a.m. to water the crops and going barefoot to study at the local Zilla Parishad school were part of his daily life.

This land poverty became the biggest means of changing the system within them. He completed his graduation from Government College of Arts and Science, Aurangabad in 1996 and MA in Political Science from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in 1998. After this, he studied on his own without any big coaching network and became IAS of Maharashtra cadre by securing 20th All India rank in the UPSC examination of 2005.

Strict decisions of IAS Tukaram Mundhe, which gave sleepless nights to mafias

As soon as he came into administration, Mundhe proved that the rules are equal for everyone. During his posting in Solapur, he cracked down on the illegal sand mafia to such an extent that he even received death threats, but he did not back down. While in Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), he took immediate action against 158 ​​contract drivers who had been missing for months without notice.

When he became the Municipal Commissioner of Navi Mumbai, he directly canceled the marble statue worth Rs 20 crore and the solar project worth Rs 163 crore, putting a stop to wasteful expenditure. His clear argument was that public tax money should be spent on basic civic amenities instead of showing off. It was here that he started the 'Walk with the Commissioner' initiative, where every Sunday he would personally meet common citizens and listen to their problems. When he was transferred in 2017, more than six thousand people from the city had signed an online petition against his transfer.

Raid on High Court canteen, open front against adulteration in FDA

Tukaram Mundhe, who is called 'Waterman of Maharashtra' for his excellent work in water conservation and was awarded the Best Collector Award in 2015-16, is now active in FDA. Recently, when the Bombay High Court raised the question as to why the investigation to food safety is limited only to private institutions, Mundhe's team conducted a surprise inspection of the canteens located directly in the High Court premises. The investigation revealed lapses such as gross uncleanliness and operation without a valid FSSAI license. This action once again proved that no one is above the law for Mundhe.