‘Zero Tolerance For Expired Food’: Pune BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole Raises Public Health Alarm In Assembly

Pune: Raising serious concerns over consumer safety, BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole on Thursday highlighted the alleged sale of expired food items through quick commerce platforms during a starred question discussion in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Taking to X (previously Twitter), Shirole wrote, "Serious lapses in storage standards and inspection protocols at dark stores operated by companies such as Blinkit, Swiggy, and Zepto pose a direct threat to citizen health.
When food safety is compromised, it is not merely a regulatory issue; it becomes a public health concern."

"I called upon the Government to immediately conduct a comprehensive audit of all online food delivery warehouses and dark stores in Pune. Any violations must invite strict penal action, and a structured compensation mechanism must be put in place to protect consumer rights," he added.

Emphasising that safe food is a fundamental right, Shirole stated that there should be zero tolerance for the sale of expired food products and called for greater accountability from quick commerce platforms to ensure the health and safety of citizens.

Yesterday, in a separate demand, during the discussion on the motion of thanks to the governor's address to the joint sitting of the budget session in the assembly, Shirole proposed the development of high-speed rail corridors connecting Pune with Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, along with semi-high-speed rail corridors linking the city to Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

The BJP MLA also demanded the establishment of two dedicated high-speed rail stations in Pune to position the city as a national mobility and economic hub and urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to personally review and expedite the Memorandum of Understanding related to the redevelopment of the Shivajinagar Bus Terminus.

“High-speed connectivity will not merely reduce travel time—it will transform economic geography by catalysing industry, IT, logistics, innovation ecosystems and investment flows, further strengthening Pune’s emergence as one of India’s fastest-growing economic centres,” Shirole added.