The incidence of crime in Tamil Nadu had gone down by '40 points' in 2003 as compared to the previous year, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the Tamil Nadu assembly on Monday.

Quoting a national crime index figure, she said the crime rate, which was 265 points in 2002, had come down to 225 points in 2003.

Congress' Uma Maheswari, during a debate on the demand for grants relating to the police department, said the crime rate had gone up during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime.

Jayalalithaa said the crime rate during 2004 was also 'under control', thanks to the modernisation of police force in the state.

She also rejected Uma Maheswari's demand for 'disbanding' all the 195 all-women police stations in the state.