Owaisi urges TG SAFE to issue improvement notices before suspending hotel licences
Synopsis
Asaduddin Owaisi walked into TG SAFE's office in Hyderabad with a hotel owners' delegation — not to defend poor hygiene, but to demand due process. His pitch: issue improvement notices first, give hotels a week to fix gaps, and only then suspend. The Commissioner's counter — a hotel that submitted a fake rectification report — reveals why the regulator is not inclined to slow down.
Key Takeaways
Asaduddin Owaisi met TG SAFE Commissioner Avinash Mohanty in Hyderabad on 9 November 2026 to push for a graduated enforcement process.
Owaisi requested that hotels be given one week via improvement notices to rectify food safety shortcomings before licence suspensions are issued.
Hotels with valid rectification reports should be allowed to reopen immediately , according to Owaisi.
The Twin Cities Hotel Owners Association cited Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, in a formal representation for a uniform, transparent enforcement procedure.
Commissioner Mohanty flagged that at least one hotel submitted a rectification report without making the stated improvements, complicating the case for leniency.
AIMIM President and Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday, 9 November met Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) Commissioner Avinash Mohanty, urging him to issue improvement notices and allow hotels time to rectify shortcomings before moving to licence suspensions. Owaisi was accompanied by a delegation from the Twin Cities Hotel Owners Association.
What Owaisi Asked For
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Owaisi said he requested the Commissioner to first identify gaps, issue improvement notices, and grant hotels one week to bring themselves up to the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Only if the establishment fails to improve within that window, he argued, should a suspension notice follow.
He added that hotels which have already submitted rectification reports should be permitted to reopen their outlets immediately, while also urging hotel owners to register under the Twin Cities Hotel Owners Association and comply with applicable norms.
The Commissioner's Position
Commissioner Mohanty, however, flagged a specific concern: at least one hotel had submitted a rectification report without actually carrying out the stated rectifications. The exchange underscored the enforcement dilemma — balancing procedural fairness for businesses against the regulator's obligation to ensure food safety for consumers.
The Association's Formal Representation
The Twin Cities Hotel Owners Association submitted a formal representation requesting the adoption of a uniform, transparent and legally prescribed enforcement procedure during TG SAFE inspections. The representation cited Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Regulation 2.1.8 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, and Schedule 4 – Catering Requirements.
'The hotel owners are committed to maintaining food safety, hygiene, sanitation and statutory compliance in their respective establishments. We continuously work towards implementing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS), as prescribed under Schedule 4 of the FSSAI Licensing and Registration Regulations. However, we request that a uniform, transparent and legally prescribed procedure be followed while issuing observations, improvement notices, show-cause notices and orders relating to suspension or cancellation of licences,' the representation read.
Broader Context
TG SAFE has been conducting a stepped-up round of inspections across Hyderabad's hospitality sector, with several establishments facing sudden licence suspensions over hygiene and food-safety violations. The crackdown follows a series of food-poisoning complaints reported in the city this year. While the regulator argues that swift action is essential to protect public health, hoteliers contend that abrupt suspensions — without prior notice or an opportunity to correct — are disproportionate and legally questionable.
Owaisi himself acknowledged that hotel owners accept the need for proper hygiene and quality food, but want the enforcement process to be predictable and legally compliant. How TG SAFE responds to the Association's formal representation will shape enforcement norms for the sector going forward.
Point of View
And abrupt closures without prior notice can be legally vulnerable. But the Commissioner's revelation that at least one hotel fabricated its rectification report cuts to the heart of the problem: when compliance is performative, graduated enforcement becomes a tool for delay rather than improvement. The real test for TG SAFE is whether it can distinguish good-faith operators who need time from repeat offenders gaming the process — a distinction that requires both legal rigour and enforcement capacity Telangana's food safety machinery has yet to demonstrate at scale.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Asaduddin Owaisi request from TG SAFE on 9 November?
Owaisi urged TG SAFE Commissioner Avinash Mohanty to issue improvement notices and allow hotels one week to rectify food safety shortcomings before proceeding with licence suspensions. He also asked that hotels with valid rectification reports be allowed to reopen their outlets.
What is TG SAFE and why is it in the news?
TG SAFE, or the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs, is the state body responsible for enforcing food safety norms across Telangana. It has been in the news for stepped-up inspections and licence suspensions targeting hotels in Hyderabad over hygiene and food-safety violations.
What law governs hotel food safety inspections in Telangana?
The primary legal framework is the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Twin Cities Hotel Owners Association specifically cited Section 32 of the Act, Regulation 2.1.8 of the Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses Regulations, 2011, and Schedule 4 – Catering Requirements in its formal representation to TG SAFE.
Why did the TG SAFE Commissioner push back against Owaisi's request?
Commissioner Avinash Mohanty noted that at least one hotel had submitted a rectification report to authorities without actually making the stated improvements, which the Commissioner cited as a reason why the regulator cannot simply take hotel compliance claims at face value.
Who is the Twin Cities Hotel Owners Association and what have they asked for?
The Twin Cities Hotel Owners Association represents hotel businesses across Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It submitted a formal representation to TG SAFE requesting a uniform, transparent and legally prescribed enforcement procedure during inspections, while affirming the association's commitment to food safety standards.
