Hookah lounges have to comply according to COTP Act and Prohibition of smoking in Public Places Rules 2008, said advocate Ravikant Patidar while speaking with the mediapersons after getting respite from Jabalpur High Court on the ban on Hookah lounges in the city.
Providing the ruling of High Court, Patidar told that the imposing of section 144 of CrPC continuously was termed wrong as it was imposed on all the operational Hookah lounges in the city in the month of April and June 2015 by district magistrate.
President of the association, Vishal Shivhare, said that according to Prohibition of smoking in Public place Rules 2008, smoking is allowed in restaurants, hotels and airports provided restaurants have open space or have a capacity of 30 persons and a separate smoking zone is provided, for hotels the hotel must have 30 rooms and at airport smoking zone is provided.
He alleged that illegal activities were observed in few lounges earlier but they are not part of the association and have shut their business.
Shivhare proposed that association would monitor in curbing minors for lounges and illegal activities.
A group of ten Hookah lounge owners teamed to oppose the ban imposed by the agencies after Deputy Director Food and Drugs Administration directed to close all the Hookah lounges in the city on August 4, 2014 and later on September 22, 2014. District magistrate issued orders to authorities including police department to ensure closure of Hookah lounges under section 144 of the CrPC and if found violating action under section 188 of the IPC should be taken after which the Restaurant and lounge Traders Association filed a writ petition with the High Court and later court passed a judgement that smoking is permissible as in the manner specified in Prohibition of smoking in Public place Rules 2008 and do not violate COTP Act.