'Maharashtra FDA Labs Must Operate 24x7 If Needed, Employees Can Quit If Unwilling': Tukaram Mundhe

Mumbai, August 6, 2026: Defending the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to extend laboratory working hours, Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said government laboratories testing food and drug samples must eventually function round the clock, asserting that employees unwilling to work under the revised system are free to resign.

His remarks came after 29 officers and employees of the FDA laboratory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar submitted a complaint to FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal, alleging excessive workload, compulsory duties on weekends and public holidays, and acute staff shortages.

Employees Oppose Shift System

In their representation dated July 15, the employees opposed the newly introduced two-shift system under which the laboratory functions from 7 am to 3 pm and 12 noon to 8 pm, replacing the earlier office hours of 9.45 am to 6.15 pm.

They claimed the revised schedule, which includes work on Saturdays and occasionally Sundays and public holidays, has disrupted their work-life balance.

Rejecting the allegations, Mundhe said the new arrangement does not increase individual working hours. "Each employee works only one eight-hour shift a day. No one is being asked to work beyond 48 hours a week, which is in line with International Labour Organization (ILO) norms. Employees are also given one weekly holiday," he said.

Mundhe Defends Decision

He stressed that government laboratories cannot function like regular offices. "Laboratories cannot operate only from 10 am to 6 pm. At present, we have introduced two shifts, six days a week. We have not yet started 24x7 operations, but if the need arises, laboratories will have to function round the clock to ensure faster testing and timely regulatory action."

Dismissing the employees' demand to restore the earlier working hours, Mundhe said it was "completely unacceptable."

"It is not possible to restrict laboratory timings to office hours. Those who are unwilling to work according to government rules are free to resign and leave," he said.

Staff Shortage Concerns

The employees, however, maintained that the laboratory is facing a severe shortage of analysts, laboratory assistants, technical personnel, and support staff, making it difficult to process samples according to Indian, British, and United States Pharmacopoeia standards while clearing a growing backlog.

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Mundhe attributed the increased workload to the FDA's intensified crackdown on food adulteration and unsafe products across Maharashtra, which has sharply increased the number of samples reaching state laboratories, making faster testing essential for effective public health enforcement.

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