Govt may pull the plug on hookah bars

Home Minister R R Patil said on Monday that Mumbai’s hookah parlours would soon go the dance bar way,once the government examines the legalities and brings in a comprehensive ban before the end of the monsoon session of legislature later this year.

“The problem with the current rule against hookah parlours is that the penalty when an eatery is found to be serving hookahs is Rs 1,200. We’ve found that these establishments simply keep the Rs 1,200 ready during raids,” Patil said during a discussion in the Legislative Assembly on the budgetary allocations for the Home Department. Last year,the Bombay High Court had upheld a move by the BMC to ban the sale of hookah or any other tobacco products at restaurants and pubs.

However,responding to a query about the rising number of hookah parlours in urban areas,Patil admitted that the penalty imposed under existing rules was inadequate,adding that the government was exploring legal options.

Regarding some dance bars continuing to operate,Patil said 95 per cent of dance bars were shut.