With an aim to familiarise farmers with digital payment platforms and make them aware about frauds associated with it, Madhya Pradesh Police Cyber Cell has launched a unique programme called "Kisaan Konnect", which will address problems faced by crop producers.

"We have been receiving reports of farmers being cheated by financial companies including chit funds causing lot of hardships to them as they are not aware of digital technology. To address the issue in an effective manner, the Cyber Cell has launched a unique Kisaan Konnect programme to keep them abreast with latest payment platforms," State Director General of Police (DGP) Rishi Kumar Shukla said.

The Kisaan Konnect programme will begin from April 15 in the state.

Under the programme, officials of Cyber Cell are visiting all 257 Mandis (markets) of the state and are holding sessions with farmers on the issue of how they are being duped by financial companies of their hard earned money.

"Because of lack of digital awareness, the hard earned money of farmers is being at risk because of criminal elements. They are not even aware that they are not supposed to reveal their passwords to unknown persons, but they do it out of ignorance and suffer losses," the DGP said.

"We have targeted Mandis as large number of farmers visit this place during March to June to sell their produce and they were made payments by Mandis through banks via RTGS and cheque," he said.

"Our teams visit these mandis and interact with farmers to make them aware on the issues of online cyber crimes, lottery fraud and offering fake jobs to them through internet," the DGP said.

Besides they are also distributing brochures, pamphlets and banners, exhibiting short films and spread audio messages against these crimes.

Police is also roping in star-campaigners to spread the message of how to prevent from cyber crimes using audio-video method among others, he said.

They have also coined slogans like "Cyber Saksharta – Aarthik Suraksha (Cyber Literacy-financial security), Surakshit Kisan-Sampanna Kisan (Secured farmer-Well-off farmer) and Surakshit Banking-Aarthik Kshati Se Bachav (Secured banking protects from financial losses) among others to spread awareness.