Pune’s Food and Drug Administration has suspended the food business licences of the well-known Vaishali Hotel and Roopali Restaurant on Fergusson College Road after inspections found sanitation deficiencies, unsafe food storage and violations of food-safety requirements.
The action was taken during a special FDA inspection drive on Friday. Both establishments must remain closed until they correct the reported deficiencies, pass a reinspection and receive written permission from the department to resume operations. Sales, takeaway orders and home deliveries are also barred during the suspension period.
At Vaishali, the restaurant scored 58 out of 98 in a sanitation and quality inspection. According to the report, inspectors found a freezer used to store raw materials near the women’s washroom because of limited kitchen space. A griddle used to prepare dosa and uttappa was placed near the men’s washroom, while washed utensils were found on a table outside a washroom.
Boiled potatoes, cooked rice and prepared food were reportedly kept in an open corridor. The preparation of idli and dosa batter was also taking place in an area considered unsafe for food handling. Raw chopped vegetables had been placed above prepared food, creating a risk of contamination, the inspection found.
The FDA also reported the absence of insect-proof doors, temperature records, an updated drinking-water testing report and a valid supervisor trained under the Food Safety Training and Certification programme, or FoSTaC. The licence suspension followed an earlier improvement notice issued in June, after which the department found that the deficiencies had continued.
At Roopali Restaurant, the inspection found an open and unsafe kitchen, stagnant water in the surrounding area, inadequate cleaning and improper waste management. Raw materials, semi-processed items and prepared food were not properly covered, while required labelling and use-by dates were missing. Inspectors also found no temperature-control records, food-safety management plan, documented procedures or FoSTaC training records.
The action was carried out under the guidance of FDA Joint Commissioner Shrikant Karkale and on the directions of Assistant Commissioner (Food) Syed Imran Hashmi. The department has said that both restaurants can reopen only after all deficiencies are rectified, food-safety standards are met during a reinspection and written approval is issued.
Vaishali director Nikita Shetty said the restaurant had temporarily operated an additional kitchen in an open rear area because of unusually heavy customer traffic during Diwali. She said the management would address the deficiencies identified by the FDA and return to service after completing the required corrections.
Roopali operator Shashindra Shetty said the restaurant had maintained a cleaning routine but acknowledged that oil deposits and other problems had been identified during the inspection. He said the management would correct the deficiencies and seek permission to reopen.
Customers interviewed after the action expressed support for periodic inspections but also said they planned to return once the restaurants resumed operations. The two establishments’ reopening now depends on corrective work, a successful FDA reinspection and written departmental clearance.
