All police stations in HP to be computerized, says CM

Shimla, Apr 10 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said all police stations in the state will be computerized during the current financial year, paving the way for online registration of complaints.

Forty police stations have already been computerised under the ''Common Integrated Police Application Plan'', while the rest would be computerized by the end of this financial year, he said during his meeting with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil at New Delhi last evening.

Mr Singh said a sum of Rs 51.12 crore has already been spent for the modernization of the state police force and a new web portal of the police department has been launched for providing immediate information to people.

The state government had merged the Directorates of Vigilance and Enforcement and created the State Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau to investigate and prevent corruption in the state, he said.

He said the Himachal Government has taken effective steps to ensure round the clock vigil to avert terrorist activities along its border with Jammu and Kashmir.

Reiterating his government's resolve to fill over 33,000 vacant posts in the state, he said 1,408 posts of constables and 167 jail wardens would be billed up during this financial year.

Mr Singh said separate wings for law and order investigation had already been formed to help in checking crime in the state.

The State Police Board has been constituted and police rules amended to provide for a minimum tenure of two years for DIG, SP, DSP and SHO in their respective postings, he said.

Mr Singh said a sum of Rs 10 crore would be spent on the construction of new police houses during the current financial year and added that a sum of Rs 46 crore were being spent for the purpose under the tenth five year plan.

The government had increased the remuneration of home guards and ration allowance of police constables to maintain the high morale of the police force, he said.

Union Home Minister Shiv Raj Patil, complimenting the state government's efforts in maintaining law and order in the state, said Himachal Pradesh one of the most peaceful states of the country.

UNI