The Madhya Pradesh cabinet has approved a bill banning hookah lounges in the state, a minister said.
"The cabinet has approved the State Amendment Bill-2022 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 to ban hookah lounges in Madhya Pradesh," state Home Minister and government spokesperson Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday after the cabinet meeting.
On October 2 this year, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced that hookah lounges will not be allowed to function in the state and will be razed, if necessary.
Mishra also said that CM Chouhan will issue a new Youth Policy on January 13 next year.
He said the recruitment process for 88,750 vacant posts in Madhya Pradesh is progressing towards completion.
"By August 15, 2023, the recruitment process of one lakh posts in government services will be completed," he said, adding that this issue was also discussed in the cabinet meeting.