Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) Maharashtra is considering making offences pertaining to sexual harassment or outraging the modesty of women non-bailable, an official said here Saturday.

This is proposed to be done through an amendment to section 354 of the Indian Penal Code -- which deals with assault or use of criminal force on women with the intent to outrage their modesty -- to make these crimes as non-bailable offences in the state, the official from the home department said.

The matter was discussed extensively at a meeting Friday evening which deliberated upon measures to reduce crimes against women.

Home Minister R.R. Patil presided over the meet which was attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Umeshchandra Sarangi, principal secretaries (Home) Pravin Dixit and Medha Gadgil, and senior women police officials, and former Bombay High Court judge Justice C.S. Dharmadhikari.

The department will now prepare a formal proposal to make the required amendment and submit it for approval of the state cabinet.

It will then be tabled in the state legislature, and after its approval it would be forwarded to the centre.

Though no time-frame has been set for the entire process, the government is determined to push through the proposal as early as possible, the official said.