Hookah bars: NGT slams fine on Delhi govt

The National Green Tribunal today pulled up the Delhi government for not furnishing a list of restaurants and bars in the city which permit hookah smoking on their premises and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on it.

A bench headed by acting NGT Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim also directed the AAP government to submit the data within 10 days from today.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a BJP MLA from Rajouri Garden, seeking immediate ban on hookah bars in the national capital.

During the hearing, advocate S S Ahluwalia, appearing for the petitioner, told the bench that neither has the government carried out searches nor has it produced the list of restaurants serving hookah as per the December 12, 2017 order of the tribunal.

The bench asked the government counsel as to why it had failed to submit the data. The counsel sought more time to furnish the information but the bench said that it would have to do it in 10 days