Telangana Govt plans regulatory authority like EAGLE and HYDRAA to curb food adulteration: CM

Expressing serious concern over the growing menace of food adulteration in Telangana, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has said the State government is considering establishing a dedicated monitoring and enforcement authority on the lines of Telangana Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA).

In an informal interaction with reporters in Hyderabad on Monday (March 30, 2026), the Chief Minister observed that food adulteration had spread across sectors and was no longer confined to hotels and restaurants. “People are increasingly worried about the large-scale adulteration of food products, which is leading to unexplained and dangerous diseases. There is a growing demand for quality food materials,” he said.

His remarks come in the wake of recent cases unearthed in Telangana, in which police and food safety officials uncovered large-scale adulteration through a series of raids. Authorities have seized adulterated cooking oil, spurious spices, synthetic milk, artificially ripened fruits, and misbranded packaged food products. Officials have also detected the sale of adulterated chilli powder mixed with artificial colours, turmeric laced with starch and chemicals, and edible oils diluted with cheaper industrial substitutes.

The Chief Minister said a comprehensive regulatory and monitoring mechanism would be put in place. The proposed authority would function with focused enforcement powers, similar to EAGLE, which targets drug-related offences, and HYDRAA, which acts against illegal encroachments of lakes and lake beds in Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister noted that while the government had ensured the availability of nutritious food through the Public Distribution System (PDS) and maintained surplus food stocks, the primary concern now was the quality and safety of food reaching consumers. “There is no shortage of food. The worry is about adulteration. Even households are unknowingly purchasing adulterated food materials for daily consumption,” he said.

Mr. Reddy warned that continued consumption of adulterated food could have long-term health consequences, contributing to the rise in lifestyle and unexplained illnesses. “It directly impacts public health. People are falling sick due to contaminated and substandard food,” he observed.