Telangana food safety authorities have suspended the FSSAI licences of seven restaurants in Nalgonda, Suryapet and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts after inspections found pest infestations, rotten vegetables, expired food and unhygienic kitchen conditions. The establishments have been directed to stop operations immediately.
The action was taken by the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE), which deployed 10 enforcement teams comprising food safety officers and police personnel. The teams inspected 20 restaurants across the three districts and collected 20 food samples on suspicion of adulteration, Telangana Today reported.
The suspended establishments are People Combine Hospitality LLP at 7 Midway Plaza and Ammachethi Vanta in Nalgonda district; Tanuja Hotels, Highway Hospitality and Sri Mamatha Lodge and Restaurant in Suryapet; and Sri Aadhya Grand Family Restaurant and AVR Group of Hotels, also known as Sangam Hotel, in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.
According to the inspection findings cited by TG SAFE, officials detected cockroach, housefly and rodent infestations at the premises. They also reported rotten vegetables, fungal contamination, greasy kitchen equipment, broken flooring and foul-smelling drains. The findings point to violations affecting both food handling and basic kitchen hygiene.
Officials also found raw meat stored alongside edible ice cubes at some establishments and vegetarian and non-vegetarian food kept together in refrigerators. Expired food items and leftover chicken were found at certain restaurants during the inspections. These conditions raise concerns about cross-contamination and the storage of food intended for public consumption.
Hotel Sai Priya Family Restaurant at Nakrekal was separately ordered to stop operations after officials found that it was functioning without an FSSAI licence and under unhygienic conditions. The inspection drive therefore covered both licensed establishments facing alleged safety violations and an unlicensed restaurant.
TG SAFE issued improvement notices to eight establishments and show-cause notices to five others. An improvement notice requires an establishment to address identified deficiencies, while a show-cause notice seeks an explanation before further regulatory action is taken. The authorities said the premises would be reinspected and that additional action, including penalties, would follow based on compliance and the inspection findings.
The enforcement action places restaurant licensing and routine inspection at the centre of food safety administration in Telangana. For consumers, the immediate issue is whether the suspended establishments remain closed and whether the corrective measures ordered by officials are completed before operations resume. TG SAFE’s next step is the planned reinspection of the premises and assessment of the collected food samples.
