Remember the Kamala Mills nightmare? Maharashtra tables a bill to ban Hookah bars

Mumbai, March 28: Maharashtra set to put a ban on Hookah bars. Maharashtra has placed a bill to ban Hookah bars. The bill proposes a minimum imprisonment of one year extending up to three years if anyone is found running hookah parlour. The fine will be a minimum of Rs 50,000 and maximum Rs 1 lakh. 

Last year in December, Kamala Mills tragedy claimed 15 lives. Reacting outrageously, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in the biggest crackdown swung into action by sealing and demolishing restaurants and bars flouting safety regulations across the city.

The bill states that no person shall, either on his own or on behalf of any other person, open or run any hookah bar in any place including the eating house.

The proposed law allows any police officer of the rank of assistant inspector or above “to seize any material or article used as a subject or means of hookah bar”.

“Minors and collegian are attracted to these bars. At present, there is no law in respect to hookah bars; therefore, no legal action can be taken. It is, therefore, necessary to regulate hookah bars by law,” reads the statement of objects and reasons.

On Tuesday, the government proposed to amend the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA)’s application in Maharashtra. After COTPA is amended, an eating house will have to be defined as per the Maharashtra Police Act. This means a place where public are admitted, and where any kind of food or drink is supplied for consumption on the premises by any person owning or having an interest in or managing such place, and includes a refreshment room, boarding house, coffee house or a shop where any kind of food or drink is supplied to the public for consumption in or near such shop but does not inc1ude “a place of public entertainment”.