Besides checking crime, the Jharkhand police will soon monitor the health of children following reports of welfare officials making false claims.

The state's welfare department has decided to entrust the responsibility of child welfare projects to the police, especially in the rural areas.

A Juvenile Police Unit in every police station will be in charge of the health of children. Their duties will include monitoring vaccination drives for polio, measles, diphtheria and other diseases.

"Police officers have to keep a tab on the health programs in their area of jurisdiction and ensure that children are getting the benefits of the state programs," an official of the welfare department said.

A directive will be sent to all 22 district police chiefs, and the welfare department will send the details of health programmes initiated time to time.

The move follows reports that the health officials, without vaccinating the targeted number of children, were claiming that the job had been done.

Children in rural areas, especially jungles and remote reaches, were mostly deprived of health care initiatives, the state government found.

The government believes police stations located in such areas had more access than any other agency.

"We are hopeful that health programs will now reach children who need it," the welfare department official said.