Uttarakhand to Establish State Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (S4C) Soon: Chief Secretary
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan Reviews Cyber Crime Preparedness, Directs Early Establishment of State Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (S4C)
Focus on strengthening cyber police stations, 1930 helpline, e-Zero FIR system, and public awareness to combat cyber fraud
Dehradun, July 13, 2026:
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan on Monday chaired a high-level meeting at the Secretariat with senior officials from the Home Department and the Police Department to review the state’s preparedness against cyber crime. The meeting assessed the current cyber crime scenario, institutional mechanisms, complaint redressal systems, and technological infrastructure aimed at enhancing cyber security and providing timely assistance to victims.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary directed officials to expedite the establishment of the State Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (S4C) and ensure that it is notified at the earliest. He said the Centre would significantly improve coordination among the Central Government, the State Government, and district-level agencies, enabling faster investigation of cyber crimes and quicker relief for victims.
Emphasising the need for stronger cyber policing, Bardhan instructed that all Cyber Police Stations in the state be equipped with modern technology, adequate manpower, and advanced investigative tools. He stressed that enhancing technical capabilities is essential for the effective detection, investigation, and disposal of cyber crime cases.
Reviewing the functioning of the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930), the Chief Secretary noted that the first few minutes after a cyber fraud are critical in preventing financial losses. He directed officials to strengthen the 1930 call centre by increasing trained manpower and reducing response time so that complaints can be acted upon immediately and fraudulent transactions can be frozen or recovered at the earliest.
The Chief Secretary also called for further strengthening of the e-Zero FIR system across the state. He instructed officials to ensure that every e-Zero FIR is converted into a regular FIR without delay and that the system is fully integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) to facilitate seamless case tracking and efficient investigation.
Highlighting the challenges faced by victims of cyber fraud, Bardhan said that many people fail to report incidents promptly due to a lack of awareness and consequently miss the opportunity to recover their money through the Money Restoration Module. He directed the Police Department to adopt a proactive approach by extending immediate guidance and support to victims instead of waiting for formal complaints alone.
He further instructed officials to launch sustained awareness campaigns through print, electronic, digital, and social media platforms to educate citizens about the Grievance Redressal Module (GRM) and the Money Restoration Module. Public awareness, he said, is crucial to help citizens understand how to prevent cyber fraud and the immediate steps they should take if they become victims.
The Chief Secretary also directed that all complaints received through the Grievance Redressal Module (GRM) be resolved within the prescribed timelines. Stressing the need to build institutional capacity, he instructed the Police Department to intensify capacity-building programmes, provide regular technical training to officers and personnel, and increase the number of Cyber Commandos to effectively tackle the growing sophistication of cyber crimes.
The meeting was attended by Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, Additional Director General of Police Dr. V. Murugesan, Inspector General of Police Dr. Nilesh Anand Bharne, SSP STF Ajai Singh, Additional Secretary (Home) Tripti Bhatt, and other senior officials.
