'Double Shifts, Work Pressure': Maharashtra Food Safety Body Head Faces 'Staff Shortage' Complaint

Twenty-nine employees of Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have alleged that they are being forced to work double shifts due to a severe staff shortage.

In a written complaint against the food safety body's commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe, the employees working at a laboratory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar claimed that the intense pressure to hastily clear pending food, drug, and cosmetic samples is directly compromising the quality and accuracy of the analysis.

They said that proper testing requires sufficient time, which is currently impossible given the immense workload and a shortage of laboratory assistants, cleaning staff, and other necessary support personnel.

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"According to the existing Government of Maharashtra policy, the laboratory's office hours are fixed from 9:45 AM to 6:15 PM. However, for the past month, following the Honorable Commissioner's directives, laboratory operations have been conducted in two shifts: 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM and 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Staff and officers have been ordered to attend the office every Saturday," they wrote in a letter to Maharashtra FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal on July 15.

"Instructions have been issued prohibiting the availing of any leave without prior permission," they said.

They said that an analyst on average can perform a quality analysis of only about 12 to 14 drug samples per month.

"Regarding the food testing laboratory, the FSSAI advisory titled "Standards Specifications for Setting up of Basic Food Laboratory (2021)" indicates that, based on available manpower and resources, a single analyst can analyse an average of 40 to 50 food samples per month. In reality, the number of drug and food samples received from drug inspectors and food safety officers exceeds the laboratory's current analytical capacity. This makes it difficult to complete sample analysis on time and leads to an increasing backlog of pending samples," they said.

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They said it was essential to increase the number of analysts in the laboratories to "reduce the backlog and ensure timely analysis."

"Operating effectively in two shifts is not practically feasible. Under these circumstances, simply extending working hours or implementing a two-shift system does not guarantee a proportionate increase in the volume of sample analysis," they wrote.

They said the increased workload and the lack of a weekly rest day are "adversely affecting their mental and physical health."

"Difficulties are also arising in fulfilling family responsibilities, which is likely to impact employee efficiency and, consequently, the quality of work within the laboratory," they said.

The complaint against Mundhe comes at a time when the FDA has been conducting a major crackdown against food joint operators flouting safety standards across the state.

(With inputs from Mohsin Sheikh)