Bengal bans hookah bars in Kolkata
Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Friday has decided to close all hookah bars in the city. A notification on the same will be published by the municipality in the next couple of days.
At the end of the 'Talk to Mayor' session on Friday, Mayor Firhad Hakim informed that no new license will be given to run a hookah bar in the city. He further informed that those who are running hookah bars will not be allowed to serve the same.
Hakim stated: "We have placed the request for the closing down of all hookah bars in Kolkata. We will not be giving any new license for running a hookah bar and whosoever we have given license to, will be directed not to serve hookah. If anybody is found to be serving hookah, the trade license of the concerned business owner will be revoked then."
City officials have already spoken to the Kolkata Police and asked to keep a strict vigil after the notification is published.
He added that the administration received complaints that "certain intoxicants" are being used so that youngsters get addicted to hookahs. "Chemicals used in such hookahs are extremely bad for health. So, we have decided to shut them," he stated.
The Mayor clarified that there are cafes which serve food as well along with hookahs. If they stop serving hookah and run a normal café, then the administration will not have any objection.
"We have got many complaints from people, who have stated that hookah bars were closed in many other cities but they continue to operate in Kolkata. Thus, we have taken this decision," Hakim added. Replying to the question about whether the KMC will stop the sale of chemicals for hookahs in paan shops across the city, the Mayor informed that the matter will be passed on to the appropriate authority for necessary action.
Incidentally, separate hookah bars are not allowed to open in Kolkata. For this reason, they are associated with restaurants or cafes. Even though no notification has been published, the restaurant owners have been asked to stop hookah bar service.
A hookah bar owner in Bhowanipur said no rules have been stated yet they have come to know of the Mayor's directive through the media and are contemplating their next move. According to the owner, there are at least 150-200 hookah bars that have opened in the city and over the past few months, small hookah bar places have sprung up in different corners.
"The Mayor spoke about some hookah bars serving hookah with addictive substances. But for some hookah bars, the entire industry should not suffer," the owner maintained.
