Patna: Director-general of police (DGP) K.S. Dwivedi on Wednesday asserted that the state police are taking "effective measures" to "nail the criminals".

The DGP was at Hajipur in Vaishali district to review the law and order situation in the districts under Tirhut division, the first such meeting since he assumed charge on March 1.

He was to hold the meeting in Muzaffapur but the schedule was changed, police sources said, due to special vigilance unit searches at the official residence of Vivek Kumar, the former senior superintendent of police of Muzaffarpur, over a disproportionate assets case.

Dwivedi said the police would keep a close watch on the activities of anti-socials and known criminals.

"I have told my subordinates to identity the groups that are involved in committing criminal offences and ensure their conviction on the basis of evidences," the DGP said.

Dwivedi claimed that Naxal activities had substantially declined in Bihar.

Of the 22 districts earlier declared Maoist-hit by the Union home ministry, the number has reduced to 18, he pointed out.

"Only southern parts of Bihar, which are close to the Jharkhand border, are affected by Naxal activities. The state has not witnessed any major incident related to Naxal violence (in recent times)," said Dwivedi, who had earlier been credited with nabbing the three Maoist central committee members during his tenure as inspector-general (operations).

He, however, admitted that Maoist movement in some districts close to the Jharkhand border had been noticed in recent months.

"We are alert and have taken precautionary measures to foil their operation, if any," he told reporters on the sidelines of the division level review meeting.

He said that the rehabilitation schemes of both the Union and the state government for Maoists who surrendered before the police were being implemented in toto. "The families of those have been surrendered under the surrender policy of the government are being provided benefits of the schemes," he added.

Referring to the rise in number of processions, bandhs and demonstrations in recent months, the DGP said the people have the democratic right to agitate, but the police would act according to the law.