Doctors, who have been soft targets for anti-social elements in Bihar, will now be protected by a special battalion constituted by the state government.

Bihar's Health Minister Chandra Mohan Rai told rediff.com on Friday that the special battalion for doctors will start functioning from 2009 and will be under the direct control of the health department.

"The state government is committed to provide safety and security to doctors," Rai said.

According to a top official of the health department, the main aim of the proposed battalion is to give the doctors a sense of security when they are on duty and off-duty.

Rai said though the details were still being worked out, the government was planning to bring in the legislation in February's assembly session.

Doctors in Bihar have been asking the state government since a decade to issue arms licenses to them in order to protect themselves and their family members.