My chauffeur asked me: What is going on in the Tata fight?
I said: The owner hired a professional driver because he knew the road better.
The driver did his job well.
Now the owner wants to take the steering back simply because the car belongs to him.
My chauffeur smiled: “Sir, gaadi malik ki hoti hai. Par steering uske haath mein honi chahiye jisko chalani aati hai.”
How? By filing cases under the "Atrocious" Act against erudite professors in premier institutions for preventing "young talent" from cheating in examinations.
He's Tukaram Mundhe, a 2005-batch IAS from Maharashtra.
Over the last few weeks, you might have heard his name. That is because he was recently appointed Commissioner of State’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since taking charge, the FDA has been on an absolute warpath, raiding illegal, fake, synthetic, and adulterated products. From synthetic milk networks and adulterated paneer to illegal gutkha and unhygienic eateries, nothing has escaped his radar.
Mundhe has made it clear that even the most famous names will not get a free pass. His department shocked Mumbai by suspending the food licenses of iconic establishments, such as the 73-year-old Marine Drive ice cream parlor K. Rustom & Co., alongside famous eateries like Shalimar Hospitality, Noor Mohammadi Hotel, and Rahmaniya Restaurant, after surprise inspections uncovered severe hygiene violations, including live pests and expired ingredients.
Such is the fear of his crackdowns that, just two days ago, dairy farmers were caught on video spilling hundreds of liters of synthetic milk after rumors of an impending FDA raid spread.
This is his 25th transfer in a 21-year career, a testament to his refusal to bend to political pressure. It makes you wonder: if just one IAS officer can bring about so much change, where would our country be if every bureaucrat were as uncompromising and proactive as him?