Seven months after the government placed its initial bids for cooperation with Bloomberg Global Initiative (BGI), a project funded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to eradicate smoking in the Capital, a team from BGI last week finalised negotiations with Health Ministry officials.

The negotiations zeroed in on a Common Minimum Agenda (CMA) that will set in motion a final draft on terms of the cooperation.

“The tie up with BGI ensures that whatever the state government does to curb smoking will be of international quality. The cooperation will bring in greater level of efficiency to our efforts towards making Delhi a no-smoking zone before the 2010 Commonwealth Games,” a Health Ministry official said.

During the two-day meet from March 9 experts, including Cassandra Wench, director, International Tobacco Control Programme, American Cancer Society and Sobha John, regional advocacy coordinator (South Asia), Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids discussed strategies to create awareness about the ill-effects of smoking, anti-smoking laws and enforcement of law and monitoring and evaluation of smoke in the Capital.

Clinching the deal with BGI has proved to be a shot in the arm for the government as its bid competed with 300 other bids from the world in October last year.

BGI has pledged $125 million to eradicate smoking worldwide. The Initiative prioritises countries that have the largest number of smokers, including India, which, with 14 other nations, has two-thirds of the smoking population.

The initiative was set in motion after Health Minister Yoganand Shastri’s visit to Edinburgh in September last year to attend a conference on anti-smoking. Soon after the visit, the Delhi government placed its initial bids for cooperation that, after clearing two stages in bidding last year, finally reached the negotiation table last week.

As part of the cooperation, BGI will bring funds and technical know-how necessary to implement anti-smoking measures in the Capital along with government officials.

As per the initial drafts on anti-smoking, Delhi will not allow smoking in public places, including government and public buildings, schools, hospitals, public transport, private workplaces, and even bars and restaurants by declaring them no-cigarette zones.