Telangana’s Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG-SAFE) is planning an exclusive police station to investigate serious food and drug safety offences, with the proposed facility intended to support arrests, criminal proceedings and enforcement operations across the state.
TG-SAFE commissioner Avinash Mohanty said around 80 police personnel are currently attached to the department. A committee has been formed to examine the manpower, legal and other requirements before dedicated posts and a police station are formally created.
The proposed police station is expected to handle cognisable offences, arrests and other criminal proceedings linked to food adulteration, counterfeit products and serious violations of drug and food safety laws. TG-SAFE officials said the facility could be the first of its kind in the country.
Under the proposed enforcement arrangement, joint teams would be formed with food safety officers and drug inspectors. These officers would retain the legal authority to lead enforcement operations, while police personnel would provide security, manpower and investigative support.
Mohanty said the lack of police support had been a key gap in earlier enforcement efforts. He said police involvement would strengthen teams during field operations, provide protection in situations involving risk, improve intelligence gathering and help coordinate with local law enforcement agencies.
He also said drug laws allow punishment of up to 10 years in some cases. Police support would assist with the execution of non-bailable warrants and summons, including when those actions have to be carried out across state borders.
The proposal comes as Telangana plans to increase scrutiny of food quality. It follows attention on enforcement action by Maharashtra’s food and drug administration, where commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has led a crackdown that has resulted in licence suspensions, FIRs and arrests, according to the report.
Food safety expert Anirudh Gupta, founder of Food SafetyWar, described the proposal as a positive development for Telangana. He said the state needed to close the gap between identifying violations and taking meaningful action, arguing that deliberate food adulteration, counterfeit products and food fraud should lead to criminal investigation and prosecution rather than only notices.
Gupta said stronger coordination between departments could allow Telangana to establish a benchmark for enforcement elsewhere in India. However, the proposal has also raised questions about whether additional police strength alone will be sufficient.
A Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation food safety officer said personnel would require specialised training in food safety laws, adulteration detection and evidence collection. The officer said investigators must understand how to establish scientifically that a food product is unsafe.
The committee examining the proposal is expected to determine the staffing structure, legal framework and other requirements before the creation of dedicated posts and the police station is formally approved.
