CHANDIGARH: Tightening the noose around hotels, restaurants and clubs violating hookah ban orders, UT adviser Manoj Parida on Tuesday said that offenders will now lose their licence.
Last month, the UT had decided that violating clubs will be closed for three days. The orders were issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. But some clubs continued to violate the directions.
To date, the UT has taken action against three to four clubs by closing them for three days. FIRs were lodged against club owners and managers in over 20 cases.
Parida said, “Officers have been asked to take strict action against violators. The UT has banned till February 11 serving and consumption of hookah in the city hotels, restaurants and clubs under Section 144 of the CrPC to control the spread of coronavirus. As some clubs are continuously violating orders, it has been decided to cancel their licence.”
On December 30, the UT had issued new orders under Section 30 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, stating that no hookah shall be served for smoke/consumption in hotels, restaurants, bars, taverns, among others, to avoid its hazardous effects and in larger public interest. In case of violation of orders, the premises serving the hookah shall be closed immediately for three days and apart from that the person/owner/manager shall be liable for punishment under various provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the order read.
“The sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) of the division concerned shall ensure proper implementation of this order through the incident commanders and other agencies such as police, health, among others, of the Chandigarh administration,” the order stated.
On December 14, the UT administration had extended the order till February 11.
Punjab had banned hookah bars in 2018
In 2018, the Punjab government had decided to impose a permanent ban on hookah bars in the state. The proposed amendment was approved by the state assembly in March 2018 and later in November 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind had given assent to a Bill from Punjab to check use of tobacco. Punjab was the third state in the country after Gujarat and Maharashtra where hookah bars or lounges were banned through law.