Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) found various violations during a special drive on sweet manufacturing and retail units across all districts of Telangana.

The Food Safety Officers of TG SAFE conducted a special drive and inspections at 53 sweet manufacturing and retail units.

The TG SAFE said in a statement on Sunday that during the inspection conducted on Friday (October 23), the officials noticed various violations in some establishments.

The officials found damaged flooring with littering of food waste; an unclean washing area; drains clogged with food waste; walls with dirt, dust and spillage of food waste. There was an absence of records, such as pest control records, health records of food handlers, etc., food handlers found without hairnets, gloves, etc., greasy exhausts and chimneys and improper storage practices, like food articles being stored on the floor, keeping of food and non-food articles together.

The officials collected 38 samples on suspicion of adulteration. An improvement notice will be issued to 20 establishments for rectification of the lapses identified during the inspection.

The establishments will be revisited to verify status of compliance with food safety norms and further action will be taken based on reinspection, and a show cause notice will be issued to one establishment for the violations reported during the inspections and further action will be initiated for imposing penalties, TG SAFE Commissioner said.

The special drive was conducted in districts such as Mancherial, Jangaon, Siddipet, Khammam, Narayanpet, Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthy, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Peddapalli, Kamareddy, Nagarkurnool, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Hanumakonda, Medak, Warangal, Rajanna Sircilla, Jagtiyal, Mahabubnagar and Kothagudem.

Earlier, three sweet shops in Hyderabad lost licences after TG SAFE raids last week.

The officials found hygiene violations and other food safety lapses during inspections and directed three establishments to stop business operations immediately in the interest of public health.

Enforcement officials found cobwebs, greasy exhaust, improper storage practices and poor personal hygiene among food handlers, some of whom had overgrown nails. Officials also reported storage pests in food articles, cockroach infestation and fungal contamination in pickles.

The three establishments were among 21 khoa and sweet manufacturing and retail units inspected by 11 enforcement teams comprising food safety officers and police personnel in the core urban region.

Across the inspections, officials collected 21 samples on suspicion of adulteration and seized 1,035 kg of food articles worth Rs 7,75,850, officials said.

A criminal of the Chhaimar gang, also known as the Kachha-Baniyan gang and carrying a reward of Rs.1 lakh, was arrested after an exchange of fire with Delhi Police in the South District, police said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Savan alias Sudhan alias Hira alias Muchhoda Fufa alias Muchhoda Chacha, was allegedly caught while he was conducting reconnaissance of farmhouses in the jurisdiction of Maidan Garhi police station with the intention of committing dacoity when a police team moved to intercept him.

The team from Maidan Garhi police station, comprising SI Narendra Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Ashok Mehta, Head Constables Sube Singh, Shakti, and Pradeep, and Constable Waseem Akram, acted on secret information about the suspect’s movement.

According to police, the suspect allegedly opened fire at the team twice during the operation, with a bullet striking the bulletproof jacket of Sub-Inspector Narendra Kumar. The police retaliated, and Constable Akram fired at the suspect, hitting him in the right calf. The injured accused was apprehended and subsequently shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment, police said.

According to the police, the suspect arrived on a motorcycle from the Bass Gaon Road at around 6.25 am on Sunday and was identified by a secret informer. When the team attempted to stop him, he allegedly fired at the personnel with a country-made pistol.

SI Narendra Kumar fired three warning rounds. The suspect subsequently took out another country-made pistol and allegedly fired again, with a bullet striking the bulletproof jacket of SI Kumar, prompting the police to retaliate.

The accused is reportedly wanted in several serious criminal cases including dacoity, robbery and murder, registered in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. A reward of Rs 1 lakh had been declared for him by the Additional Director General of Police, Varanasi Zone, in connection with a dacoity-cum-murder case registered at Shahganj police station in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh in 2014.

His criminal antecedents also include an FIR registered at Raya police station in Mathura in 2016 in connection with a robbery-cum-murder case. In addition, he is reportedly wanted in a murder-cum-robbery case registered at City-2 police station in Mansa, Punjab, in 2024.

The suspect’s modus operandi was to survey farmhouses to identify targets before carrying out dacoities. The police received information about his presence in the Maidan Garhi area, which prompted the police operation that ended with his arrest following the exchange of fire.

Further investigation is underway to determine his role in other criminal cases, the police said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated a new garment manufacturing facility in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Following the inauguration, the Prime Minister interacted with workers at the facility.

PM Modi, accompanied by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, also toured the manufacturing unit to review its facilities and operations.

The Prime Minister and the Chief Minister further visited a product exhibition at the facility, where they viewed the products on display.

The visit highlighted the new manufacturing facility and its workforce, with the Prime Minister interacting with employees and touring the premises alongside the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

The facility marks an important step towards strengthening India’s textile and apparel manufacturing ecosystem and promoting industrial growth in the region.

Focusing on modern manufacturing practices, the facility is expected to create meaningful employment opportunities, particularly for women, and contribute to the region’s economic progress. The inauguration also highlights Uttar Pradesh’s growing role as a destination for industrial investment and manufacturing-led growth, an official statement said.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to witness the Air Force Day Aerial Display-2026 at Namo Ghat as the Chief Guest. The event is expected to feature a range of frontline fighter aircraft, helicopters and transport aircraft, offering a display of the Indian Air Force’s operational strength.

Fighter planes expected to participate include the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft, the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, the SU-30MKI and Rafale fighter jets, alongside transport aircraft. Aircraft from the Indian Navy and the Indian Army are also expected to take part, highlighting joint operational capabilities among the armed forces.

The Indian Air Force’s prominent display teams, including the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team and the Sarang Helicopter Display Team, will also participate in the programme. Their performances are expected to feature coordinated formations, precision manoeuvres and aerial demonstrations.