'Police reforms bill' in Budget Session: Patil

Hyderabad, Feb 12 (UNI) Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today said the Centre plans to introduce police reforms bill in Parliament in the coming Budget Session.

Speaking to newspesons here after the Southern Zonal Council Meeting in which seven member state representatives and officials participated, Mr Patil said the Centre had constituted a committee for drafting the bill.

It would be introduced in the Budget Session after due study of the draft bill by the Union Ministry.

Stating that the Centre had allocated Rs 550 crore to set up beach marine police stations along the coast, he said 70 per cent of the allocated amount would be spent on the purchase of speed boats and the balance for construction of police stations.

Sixty to 70 police stations would be set up under the first phase to check smuggling and infiltration along the sea coast.

The Minister said the issue of providing more funds for stengthening the police, expansion of police machinery and megacity policing were discussed at the meeting.

Urging the state governments to constitute committees to study and prepare a report on security, Mr Patil said the state governments should also submit reports to the Centre so that it could consider the recommendations for strengthening the security in cities.

UNI