Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licences of an IRCTC-linked base kitchen in Kurla and three food establishments at ISKCON’s Hare Krishna Land in Juhu, Mumbai, after inspections found serious hygiene and food-safety violations. The action, taken under FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe as part of a wider enforcement drive, followed inspections on September 2 and 3.
At the Kurla kitchen, inspectors reportedly found cockroaches in food storage and processing areas, uncovered food, preparation near open garbage and damaged kitchen surfaces. At the ISKCON premises, officials flagged pest infestation, clogged drains, poor storage and segregation, inadequate water and food testing, and gaps in staff medical and training records. ISKCON said it had begun corrective measures and remained committed to the safety of devotees and guests, while IRCTC said corrective work at its Kurla kitchen had been completed and operations were expected to resume.
What Did The FDA Find?
The Kurla facility, operated by R K Associates & Hoteliers Pvt Ltd and linked to Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), was inspected on September 2. According to the FDA, inspectors found cockroaches in storage and processing areas, food left uncovered, food preparation taking place near open garbage, damaged floor tiles and cracked or damaged wall surfaces. Staff hygiene was also a concern: one employee with an injured finger was reportedly handling food, while only 21 of 34 food handlers could produce medical fitness certificates.
At ISKCON Juhu, inspections on September 3 covered the main food establishment at Hare Krishna Land, ISKCON Food Services–Restaurant and Govindas Restaurant. Among the findings were inadequate raw-material checks, poor storage conditions, pest infestation, clogged drains, standing water, inadequate pest-control measures and missing records relating to water testing, medical examinations, vaccination and food-safety training.
What Have IRCTC And ISKCON Said?
The FDA issued the licence suspensions after reviewing inspection reports and photographs. ISKCON clarified that the action concerned restaurants and snack facilities at its Juhu premises, rather than its community kitchens. Its communications coordinator, Parijata, said the community kitchens remained functional. ISKCON-Juhu also said the FDA had assessed its compliance at around 70% and identified areas requiring improvement, adding that corrective measures had already begun to achieve full compliance with food-safety and regulatory standards.
Meanwhile, IRCTC said corrective measures at the Kurla base kitchen had been completed and that it expected operations to resume from September 9, while work at other locations was continuing. The FDA has also served improvement notices on other IRCTC-linked kitchens in Chembur, Powai and Thane, underlining that the action is part of a broader inspection drive rather than an isolated case.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Food safety is ultimately a public health issue, and hygiene standards must apply consistently wherever food is prepared or served, whether it is a railway kitchen supplying meals to passengers, a restaurant serving customers, a religious institution offering food to devotees, or any other public food service. Consumers should not have to compromise on basic safety standards because of the setting in which a meal is prepared or the institution associated with it.
Regulatory inspections play an important role in identifying conditions that may pose risks to public health. Findings such as pest infestations, clogged drains, improper food storage, uncovered ingredients, inadequate cleaning practices and missing staff-health records cannot be treated as minor administrative lapses. They can create conditions in which food becomes contaminated and may expose large numbers of people to illness. When such violations are found, authorities must act promptly and ensure that establishments are held accountable.
At the same time, enforcement should not end with licence suspensions or public notices. Regulatory action must be accompanied by transparency, clearly documented inspection findings, time-bound corrective measures and follow-up inspections to verify whether the problems have actually been resolved. Establishments should be given a fair opportunity to respond and improve, but that opportunity must not dilute the seriousness of the violations or allow unsafe kitchens to resume operations without proper verification.
The responses from both IRCTC and ISKCON indicate that corrective work is under way. This is an important part of ensuring that accountability leads to safer kitchens and better systems rather than becoming limited to punitive action. However, corrective measures must be independently assessed, and consumers should be informed about whether the required standards have been met before food service resumes fully.
The incident also raises broader questions about the consistency of food-safety enforcement. Large institutions, religious organisations, railway contractors and private restaurants may serve very different kinds of food, but the people consuming it are equally entitled to protection. Regular inspections, trained food handlers, proper pest-control systems, clean water and drainage facilities, safe storage practices, medical fitness checks for staff and transparent compliance reports should be treated as basic requirements across all food establishments.
At the same time, consumers deserve confidence that basic hygiene standards are being maintained before food reaches their plates. Do you think stronger inspections, public disclosure of violations and transparent corrective action can help make food safety a shared responsibility across restaurants, religious institutions and public food services?
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