Summary of this article
Gujarat Deputy CM flags online fraud in banking sector
Formation of joint committee to tackle cybercrime and safeguard victims' money
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi has flagged the issue of online fraud in the banking and finance sector and ordered the formation of a joint committee, including nodal officers of various lenders, to safeguard the money of victims.
Sanghavi also said that Gujarat has taken the lead in expanding India's banking infrastructure, and is home to more than 2.25 crore Jan Dhan accounts, indicating even the poor have access to reliable banking services in the state.
He made the remarks while chairing the 187th meeting of the State-Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.
The minister raised the issue of cybercrimes, labelling them "one of the biggest challenges of the present time".
He ordered the formation of a joint committee comprising officials from the Home Department, Gujarat police, and nodal officers of various lenders to safeguard the money of citizens who fall victim to cyber frauds.
Sanghavi emphasised that the government, together with the banking sector, can carry out result-oriented action to prevent such crimes.
Citing an example, he pointed out that the Gujarat police succeeded in freezing 100 per cent of the amount involved in all cybercrime cases registered on helpline 1930 on Monday (December 1), thanks to the support of various banks.
If banks extend similar cooperation to the proactive efforts of the police, then the amount involved in every cybercrime can be blocked, which will significantly reduce such offences, he opined.
Sharing an example of a vigilant bank manager, he narrated an incident where an elderly person in Ahmedabad fell prey to a 'digital arrest' scam.
Frightened by cyber fraudsters, the senior citizen prematurely withdrew his fixed deposit of Rs 45 lakh and went to the bank to transfer the amount through RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement).
Sensing that something was wrong, the alert bank manager, Jayesh Gandhi, asked the man about the reason behind such a large and urgent money transfer. After speaking with him, it became clear the man had been digitally blackmailed. The manager intervened and prevented him from falling prey to cybercrime, Sanghavi told the meeting.
If every bank employee across the state works with such vigilance and a humanitarian approach, Gujarat will surely succeed in reducing cybercrimes, the deputy chief minister asserted.
Gujarat has taken the lead in expanding the country's banking infrastructure. The state's banking network has now reached 11,000 branches, of which more than 56 per cent operate in rural areas, a government release quoted Sanghavi as saying at the meeting.
"There was a time when banking services in the country were limited only to the wealthy and urban class. Today, due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, an unprecedented revolution has taken place in the banking sector," he noted.
Through an extensive banking network, more than 2.25 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in Gujarat, which proves that even the poorest person in the state today is availing strong and reliable banking services, Sanghavi maintained.
Jan Dhan accounts are basic bank accounts opened under the Centre's mission for financial inclusion aimed at providing bank accounts to all unbanked households.
During this meeting, the deputy CM felicitated the three best-performing lead district managers of Gujarat for their outstanding work in the second quarter of the financial year 2025.
As per SLBC's official statement, the forum reviewed the progress of the ongoing campaign for settlement of unclaimed assets in the financial Sector.
The meeting was addressed by SLBC-Gujarat Chairman Debadatta Chand, RBI Executive Director Sonali Sen Gupta, and Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Finance Manoj Ayyappan.
Top bureaucrats from Gujarat's finance department, including Principal Secretary Rajiv Topno, Secretary (Economic Affairs) Arti Kanwar, along with senior officers from various nationalised banks and departments, also attended the meeting.
If banks extend similar cooperation to the proactive efforts of the police, then the amount involved in every cybercrime can be blocked, which will significantly reduce such offences, he opined.
Sharing an example of a vigilant bank manager, he narrated an incident where an elderly person in Ahmedabad fell prey to a 'digital arrest' scam.
Frightened by cyber fraudsters, the senior citizen prematurely withdrew his fixed deposit of Rs 45 lakh and went to the bank to transfer the amount through RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement).
Sensing that something was wrong, the alert bank manager, Jayesh Gandhi, asked the man about the reason behind such a large and urgent money transfer. After speaking with him, it became clear the man had been digitally blackmailed. The manager intervened and prevented him from falling prey to cybercrime, Sanghavi told the meeting.
If every bank employee across the state works with such vigilance and a humanitarian approach, Gujarat will surely succeed in reducing cybercrimes, the deputy chief minister asserted.
Gujarat has taken the lead in expanding the country's banking infrastructure. The state's banking network has now reached 11,000 branches, of which more than 56 per cent operate in rural areas, a government release quoted Sanghavi as saying at the meeting.
"There was a time when banking services in the country were limited only to the wealthy and urban class. Today, due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, an unprecedented revolution has taken place in the banking sector," he noted.
Through an extensive banking network, more than 2.25 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in Gujarat, which proves that even the poorest person in the state today is availing strong and reliable banking services, Sanghavi maintained.
Jan Dhan accounts are basic bank accounts opened under the Centre's mission for financial inclusion aimed at providing bank accounts to all unbanked households.
During this meeting, the deputy CM felicitated the three best-performing lead district managers of Gujarat for their outstanding work in the second quarter of the financial year 2025.
As per SLBC's official statement, the forum reviewed the progress of the ongoing campaign for settlement of unclaimed assets in the financial Sector.
The meeting was addressed by SLBC-Gujarat Chairman Debadatta Chand, RBI Executive Director Sonali Sen Gupta, and Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Finance Manoj Ayyappan.
Top bureaucrats from Gujarat's finance department, including Principal Secretary Rajiv Topno, Secretary (Economic Affairs) Arti Kanwar, along with senior officers from various nationalised banks and departments, also attended the meeting.
