Patna: The state police headquarters has started digitisation of weaponry, personnel, vehicles and government property for the first time in the history of the Bihar police.

Initially, the database of all weapons and vehicles allotted either to the police personnel or to the police stations across the state has been prepared to be followed by their physical verification at the district and the police headquarters levels.

The exercise which began in January this year, will be completed by the end of June. Separate teams from the headquarters recently visited the districts to compile the figures. "We are in the process of making a combined database on vehicles, personnel and weapons," inspector-general (provision) Kamal Kishore Singh said.

Kishore revealed that the director-general of police K.S. Dwivedi has asked to complete the exercise by the end of June this year. Around 1,600 vehicles across the state have so far been condemned and the superintendents of police (SPs) told to get those vehicles, which were out of order due to minor technical snag, repaired at the earliest.

In addition, the police headquarters has got registered with GeM (government e-marketplace), a national public procurement portal, which had been formed on the recommendation of a group of ministers of the Union government and works under the Union finance ministry. "With this facility, the Bihar police will now procure certain articles through GeM," Kishore clarified.

The police headquarters has already initiated the process to purchase new vehicles against those declared condemned. "We have sought the list of the vehicles, which are not serviceable (beyond repair) and purchase new ones in phases in three financial years," the IG (provision) added.

Authoritative sources said the police headquarters got registered with GeM on May 4, 2018. "This made the purchase of the listed articles easier," said another IG-rank officer. The police headquarters has also started rationalisation of allotment of vehicles to the districts.