Tightening the noose around the hotels, restaurants and bars violating the ban on serving hookah in the union territory of Chandigarh, the UT Administration will issue them show cause notices asking as to why their licences may not be cancelled or suspended.

In October last year, the Administration had banned serving of hookah in city’s hotels, restaurants, taverns, bars and hookah bars.

The ban was extended till February 2021, in an order issued under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure issued by the district magistrate.

Since October last year, 25 FIRs have been registered against 19 clubs for violating the ban in the city.

Manoj Parida, Adviser to UT Administrator while talking to The Pioneer said that the UT Administration has decided to issue show cause notices to all the violators seeking their reply as to why their licences may not be cancelled or suspended.

Earlier, the Administration had decided to close down the premises for serving hookah for three days and to punish the owner or the manager under the Disaster Management Act. In the past one month, clubs violating the ban have been sealed for three days and FIRs have also been registered against the owners or managers, he said.

Apart from issuing show cause notices to all the violators, the Administration has decided to proceed with cancellation of the licence of repeat offenders, if any, he added.

Till date, 25 FIRs have been registered against 19 city’s clubs namely Chasers Bar, Pipe and Barrel, Barrel Bar, State of Dance Club, Cow Boy Club, The Burning Table Club, Pich Club Bar.

 Bargain Booze, Poison Bar, Playboy Club, Grapho Lounge, Terminal-07, Qizo Club, Tamzara Club, Boomboz, 26 Boulevard, ESKO Bar Club, The Reef Club and The MOB, according to the Chandigarh Police Amid COVID-19 pandemic, the Administration had in October last year imposed a ban on serving of flavoured hookahs, including tobacco molasses containing nicotine, for smoke or consumption in hotels, restaurants, bars, taverns and hookah bars.

 The ban was first imposed on October 13 for 60 days and was later extended till February 11, 2021.