Following complaints received from public, videos posted on social media platforms and media reports, the Health and Family Welfare Department has formed 30 special teams to conduct inspections in hotels, restaurants, smaller food units and others.

The teams comprise officials from Food Safety and Drug Administration.

U.T. Khader, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, said, “We were receiving continuous complaints from various people and through videos posted on social media about the sale of substandard food, unhygienic practices at eateries, etc. Every citizen has right to clean and healthy food. From Friday (August 7, 2026), we have started the inspection drive in five-star hotels in Bengaluru.”

He added, “These teams are being led by Food Safety Commissioner, Srinivas K. and they will inspect the food and hygiene as per the guidelines of the Food Safety and Drug Administration department. I have instructed officials to submit a detailed report at the end of the day about actions being taken and the kind of violations noticed in these hotels, including big and small.”

According to the notification from the department, the inspection will be conducted in five-star hotels, road-side eateries, restaurants and other forms of food businesses. The inspection checklist is prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for each hotel/food establishment. Inspection officials will record video at required locations in each hotel/food establishment for further investigation purposes.

The notification also stated that legal action will be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011, in case of violations.

It says that a review should be conducted on the caloric value of food items, and officials have to inspect if ingredients like milk or masala items have expired, if the kitchens are hygienic, if food is stored under prescribed temperature, if hotels are using banned colour to prepare gobi manchurian, curries and non-vegetarian items, while also reviewing cross-contamination prevention measures, and cold chain management.

Further, necessary steps should be taken to collect food samples of sheep, chicken, fish and other meat products and submit them to a private laboratory for analysis.

After conducting the inspection in each of the designated hotels, food establishments, the address of the centralised kitchen of the said food establishment should be obtained and a visit should also be made there for inspection.

The department has also requested citizens to raise complaints of food safety violations by dialling the FSSAI helpline number posted on its website.

In his first visit to Karnataka after taking charge, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay arrived at Mangaluru International Airport on June 12 afternoon, on his way to Kolluru Mookambika Temple in Udupi district.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare U.T. Khader greeted him at the airport with officials of Dakshina Kannada administration.

The officials presented him with two books at the airport.

Later, he left by road to Kolluru.

Speaker U.T. Khader said here on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) that the Congress high command has so far not asked him to join the new Cabinet to be headed by D.K. Shivakumar.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Khader said if the party wants him to continue as Speaker he will continue to do so.

“If I am asked to work as minister in the new Cabinet or continue as an MLA, I am happy to do so. I will act as per the directions of Congress high command,” he said.

Speaker may resign

However, people close to Mr. Khader said he is set to tender his resignation to the post of Speaker and join the new cabinet on Wednesday (June 3). Mr. Khader is set leave for Bengaluru from Mangaluru on June 2 evening. Since Monday (June 1), party workers and Mr. Khader’s admirers have been meeting and congratulating him after hearing that he is among the ministers to be sworn-in on June 3.

Asked about controversy surrounding the audio tape purportedly related to minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, over sabotaging the prospects of the Congress candidate in the recently held Assembly bypolls in Davangere, clearing his (Mr. Khader’s) way into the new Cabinet as a representative from the minority community, Mr. Khader said there is no competition between him and Mr. Khan on becoming ministers in the new Cabinet.

Mr. Khader said becoming a minister helps in doing works related to people in a more effective way. As a Speaker, he works more for the legislators. “While working as a Speaker, I have ensured to work for people of my (Mangaluru Assembly) constituency and take up development projects. When in my constituency, people forget that I am in the post of Speaker, which comes with a set of protocols,” he said.