An RTI query on the mushrooming of hookahparlours in the city has revealed that there is no law for these parlours.A city-based Right To Information (RTI) activist Mansoor UmerDarvesh had filed the RTI query in July seeking information aboutthe laws regarding hookah parlours in the city, only to have hisrequest turned down by all the authorities.According to Mr Darvesh, most of the hookah parlours are filled withthe young generation, who are not even eligible to drink and smoke yet.He had filed the RTIs to the Home Department of Mantralaya, the citycommissioner of police and the municipal commissioner of theMunicipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), but received nothingof consequence in response.Replying to the questions asked by Mr Darvesh, the Home Departmentin its reply stated that there was no law regarding hookah parloursin the city, so answers to the RTI could not be furnished.Similarly, the office of commissioner of police said that thelicensing of hookah parlours in the city were not under theirdepartment, so the answers could not be given to the activist. The MCGM's Public Health Department said, "The trade of hookahparlours is not under the purview of the Municipal Corporation Act.Hence, the question of granting a licence for the hookah parloursfrom the Public Health Department does not arise. Hence, theinformation sought is not available in this office.""All they did is to ask me to approach the Appellate Authority. ThisRTI was filed just because I saw that the current generation gettingspoiled. The government should make a proper policy, right? Theyshould not keep any loopholes at least when it comes to the younggeneration," said the activist.He added, "The law and order is handled and run by these three maindepartments, so how can they say that they do not know? This clearlyshows they are not doing their work properly."UNI AAA SS NP SHK 2303 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-1121430.Xml