Delhi health minister Dr Yoganand Shastri on Friday said that the Centre was likely to hike the penalty for smoking in public places from the current Rs 200 to Rs 1,000. An announcement in this regard may be made on Saturday on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day. "Though the Anti-smoking Act came into force in 1998 only, the result has not been good due to the nominal fine amount. I have been told that the Central government would raise the fine to Rs 1,000 on Saturday," he said. Dr Shastri said that a relentless campaign would soon be launched to make the city free of smoking by 2009, with nine mobile courts being set up to prosecute the offenders. Eight teams have been set up to nab the offenders. The Delhi government is also working with the city police to enforce the anti-smoking law, whereby officials above the rank of sub-inspector can issue a challan, he said. Dr Shastri said that the US-based John Hopkins University had provided 160