August 7: The state government today announced plans to maintain a computerised record of all criminals operating in Maharashtra. The computer will be linked with the national crime register in the Union Home Ministry as well as the police crime department in Pune.

Minister of state for home Prabhakar More said the computerisation of police records has become necessary since criminals from outside the state commit serious crimes and manage to go scotfree. He urged the police to educate citizens about the need to cross-check the antecedents of their domestic servants by verifying with the police.

The minister was speaking after the inauguration of the deputy commissioner's office at Panvel under New Mumbai police commissionerate. Minister for public works Gajanan Kirtikar disclosed that the proposal for a post of an additional deputy commissioner and a separate police station at New Panvel would be clearly soon.

Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Sudhakar Ambedkar felt that the need to come to the police station or the DCP's office should be minimised. ``It would automatically result in doubling our task,'' he pointed out.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.