The Asian Age: Mumbai: Monday, September 18, 2017.
Replying to
queries asked in an RTI application by an activist, the state home department
has said that as there is no law with respect to hookah parlours, the
department could not furnish the details sought under the right to information
act. The police department and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)
said that they have no details of how many hookah parlours exist in the city or
the action taken against the parlours for violating laws because the hookah
parlours do not fall under their purview.
Mansoor
Darvesh, a Jogeshwari resident had written to the state home department, the
commissioner of police, Mumbai and the BMC commissioner under the RTI Act in
order to find the number of licenses that have been issued for running hookah
parlours in the city, the timings they are allowed to remain open for, and the
minimum age required to enter a parlour, along with the action taken against
the parlours for violating the laws.
The home
department in its reply said that there is no law for hookah parlours in the
city and so the details couldn’t be furnished for the RTI application reply.
Similarly, the hotel branch of the Mumbai police replied that their department
is not concerned with hookah parlours, as their department is not involved in
issuing licenses for these parlours. They too couldn’t give any details for the
reply.
The health
department of the BMC in its reply, said, “The trade of hookah parlours doesn’t
come under the purview of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act. Hence, the
question of granting licences to the hookah parlours from the public health
department does not arise. Hence, the information sought by you is not
available in this office.”
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