In the wake of the rising incidents of cybercrime, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to have cyber police stations across all 75 districts of the state.

While cyber police stations are already operational in 18 divisions, the state will establish them in the remaining 57 districts after the Lok Sabha elections.

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Officials said here on Tuesday that the state cabinet has already approved the setting up of cyber police stations in these districts. Their finalisation will be done following the conclusion of the Model Code of Conduct (MCD) and the general elections.

With 25 designated officers and staff to be deployed at each of the cyber stations, the total number of deployments at the 57 cyber stations will be 1,425. This decision ensures that the cybercrime stations will be accessible to every state district. Previously overseen by an IG-level officer, the responsibility for these stations will now be assumed by the Superintendent of Police.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government had sanctioned the creation of 1425 positions, allocating 25 posts for each cybercrime police station. However, this initiative was delayed due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent imposition of the MCC. The establishment of the cyber stations is now slated for completion after the conclusion of these events.

Notably, the state Cabinet approved this decision on December 19, 2023.

State Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna shared, “There is a pressing need for cyber police stations in all 75 districts, given the escalating cybercrime rates nationally and globally.”

He added, “While cyber police stations are operational in 18 divisional headquarters, the decision has been made to establish the stations in the remaining 57 districts as well. Establishing these stations is estimated to incur a financial burden exceeding one billion, 27 crore, 24 lakh, and 51 thousand rupees. These stations will enhance surveillance of cybercrime in the state and facilitate swift and effective interventions.”

While discussing the current cybercrime situation in the state, he said, “Uttar Pradesh leads in cybercrime convictions, with a significantly higher conviction rate than the national average.”

He added, “With a conviction rate of 87.8 percent, Uttar Pradesh surpasses the national rate of 46.5 percent. The state has secured 838 convictions, far exceeding the second-ranking state, Madhya Pradesh, which has only 59 convictions. Additionally, Uttar Pradesh has made 7122 criminal arrests compared to Maharashtra’s 2582. In 2022 alone, Uttar Pradesh recorded 10,117 registered cybercrime cases.”

The 57 districts where the cyber crime stations will be established include Unnao, Rae Bareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Kanpur Dehat, Etawah, Fatehgarh, Kannauj, Auraiya, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, Hapur, Sultanpur, Barabanki, Amethi, Ambedkar Nagar, Etah, Hathras, Kasganj, Mathura, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Maharajganj, Deoria, Kushinagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Rampur, Bijnor, Amroha, Sambhal, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Sonbhadra, Bhadohi, Mau, Ballia, Siddharthnagar, Sant Kabirnagar, Lalitpur, Jalaun, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli.