In view of the increasing cybercrime cases in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has made a significant decision to establish cybercrime police stations across 57 districts of the state. The project is estimated to cost Rs 1.25 billion.
The proposal was approved in a cabinet meeting held at Lok Bhavan under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday.
A total of 20 proposals were presented during the cabinet meeting and 19 were approved.
After the meeting, Finance Minister Suresh Khanna addressed mediapersons, shedding light on additional measures adopted by the government. Notably, approval has been granted to the establishment of cybercrime police stations in all 57 districts of the state.
The districts where these specialised units will be set up include Unnao, Rae Bareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Kanpur Dehat, Etawah, Fatehgarh, Kannauj, Auraiya, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, Hapur, Sultanpur, Barabanki, Amethi, Ambedkarnagar, Etah, Hathras, Kasganj, Mathura, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Maharajganj, Deoria, Kushinagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Rampur, Bijnor, Amroha, Sambhal, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Sonbhadra, Bhadohi, Mau, Ballia, Siddharthnagar, Sant Kabirnagar, Lalitpur, Jalaun, Muzaffarnagar, and Shamli.
This initiative aims to enhance the state’s capability to combat cyber threats and provide specialised assistance to individuals and businesses affected by cybercrimes.
Khanna emphasised Uttar Pradesh’s pioneering role in tackling cybercrime, showcasing a commitment to apprehending offenders, ensuring due legal processes, and upholding the state’s preeminence in combating digital threats.
About the current situation of cybercrime in the state, Khanna pointed out that UP is at the top in terms of convictions. “Our conviction rate is much better than the national average. The national conviction rate in cybercrime cases is 46.5 per cent, whereas that in UP is 87.8 per cent. So far, there have been 838 convictions in UP, whereas Madhya Pradesh, which is at second spot, has had only 59 convictions. A total of 7,122 arrests have been made in the state, while 2,582 arrests have been made in Maharashtra. In 2022, Uttar Pradesh has registered 10,117 cybercrime cases,” he explained.
In another decision, the cabinet approved the opening of an Advanced Paediatric Centre at SGPGI. Under the proposal, the 575-bed facility will be established in two phases. It will consist of over 20 departments and six units. The estimated cost of the project is over Rs 199 crore
The first phase will include the setting up of 12 departments, four units, and 308 beds whereas the second will see the inclusion of an additional 265 beds, nine departments, and two units.
The chief minister has issued a directive for completion of the construction work within 18 months, Khanna said.
Advocate Welfare Fund:
Providing relief to advocates, the government has also approved the proposal to increase the Advocate Welfare Fund by Rs 100 crore. The finance minister said that on the death of an advocate, their family gets help from this fund. Earlier, the amount given to an advocate’s family was Rs 1.5 lakh, which has been increased to Rs 5 lakh. At present, this fund is of Rs 200 crore; however, the government’s target is to increase it to Rs 500 crore.
