Balrampur (Uttar Pradesh), Jul 3 (IANS): Want to earn thousands of rupees sitting at home? The Balrampur police in Uttar Pradesh have an offer for you.

According to a pamphlet released by Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Varma, the cops have launched a 'Mukhbir Rozgar Yojana" (witness employment scheme) under which those giving information about criminals and their activities will be given monetary rewards.

The police pamphlet also lists the quantum of reward money for various types of information.

Helping the police to track down a stolen car will bring a reward of Rs 1,000 and the same amount will be given for getting the police to recover a country-made firearm, popularly known as 'katta'.

Information and recovery of an unlicensed revolver or pistol will carry a reward of Rs 5,000.

The pamphlet says that persons having any such information can give it to the SP on his official mobile number. The identity of the person will be kept confidential and if the information is found to be true, the reward money will be given in cash or deposited in his account.

This, incidentally, is the first such scheme launched by the police.

Till now, informers were given money for information from the secret fund that is given to every police chief in the district.

Varma said that the scheme has already started yielding results.

"We are trying to reach out to common people who may have information about any suspicious activities in their vicinity have already worked out half a dozen cases through this scheme which is now being popularized in villages and the rural interiors of the district," he said.