eGovWatch: Maha CM announces commencement of 34 cyber labs to combat cyber crime

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced the commencement of 34 cyber laboratories in various parts of the state as part of the government’s efforts to crack down on cyber crime. “We have started 34 cyber laboratories today and a total of 51 such labs will be started across the state. This will ensure that we have an upper hand while tackling crimes,” he said. He was addressing people on the 70th Independence Day.

Commencing operations of cyber labs, that will be equipped to analyse mobile forensic and call detail records, is part of the state government’s proposed cyber crime project which is expected to be completed by December this year. Fadnavis said the state government will provide all its services through a mobile application by October this year.

The CM had in January 2015 launched ‘Aaple Sarkar’, an integrated web-based platform, that allows citizens to register grievances and send suggestions to the government on various issues. “Till now, we have had 30 lakh applications on ‘Aaple Sarkar’ portal, all of which have been addressed that has led to a 92 per cent rate of satisfaction. By October 2, all our services will not only be available online, but will also be available on an application. A mobile phone will become a government office for the common man,” Fadnavis said.

He said the government’s aim is to ensure that people do not need to visit government offices physically. The government has spent over Rs 9,000 crore to provide relief to farmers grappling with incessant drought, erratic climatic conditions and monetary loans, he said. The government, as a part of its tree plantation drive, has planted about 2.5 crore trees, he said, adding that around five crore trees will be planted over a period of five years.

Fadnavis also said that all police stations have been linked with a central server and a crime and criminal tracking system has been developed. “This is the first state in the country to do so. This has ensured a control in crime rates and an increase in the rate of conviction. We have taken the rate of conviction from 9 per cent to 52 per cent. Our agenda is that the common man needs to feel safe,” he said.

He said the government is also doing good work in the department of Health and that the state has played a big role in improving health indicators like infant mortality of the nation. Fadnavis said around 30,000 adivasi children are being educated through government schemes and that the state has fulfilled a long pending demand by hiking annual income limit of parents of non-creamy layer category OBC students seeking scholarships, to Rs 6 lakh from the current Rs 4.5 lakh.

He said that as part of making Maharashtra a digital state, 500 gram panchayats have already been made digital, and that by October 2, Nagpur would be turned into a complete digital district.

“By November 2018, 29,000 gram panchayats will be turned digital. We have also introduced a smart schools programme, where 11,000 schools have benefited and the learning outcome was 100 per cent,” the CM added. Meanwhile, Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said in Nagpur today that the government was creating employment opportunities while carrying out developmental activities across the state.

On the occasion of Independence day celebration at the Divisional Commissioner’s office in Nagpur, the District Guardian Minister said about 313 villages were selected by the state government for ‘Jal Yukta Shivar’ scheme and a huge amount of Rs 3,806 crore was spent on it.

About 500 villages have been digitised, he said. The authorities have completed a target of crop loan disbursement to the tune of Rs 769.95 crore, he said. Nagpur Divisional Commissioner Anoop Kumar, Commissioner of Police Sharda Prasad Yadav, zilla parishad president Nisha Sawarkar and MLA Jogendra Kawade were present on the occasion. Later, Bawankule inaugurated the cyber lab at Nagpur rural police premises.