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NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday advised states to start registering e-Zero FIRs in cyber crime cases so that victims who already have lost their money are spared the harassment of running from one department or agency to another, including the police station, where the crime was committed. Taking note that only nine states have this system in place, Modi directed PMO officials to take this up with each chief secretary and DGP of states for faster roll out of e-Zero FIRs across the country.Reviewing grievances related to cyber crime and digital arrest at PRAGATI meeting where chief secretaries from all states were present, PM said he will review the progress of e-Zero FIRs. These FIRs help investigators immediately start the probe against criminals who are very agile and whose trail can soon vanish.The e-Zero FIR is a digital initiative by Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) that automatically converts verified, high-value cyber financial fraud complaints into Zero FIRs. It allows victims to bypass jurisdictional barriers and fast-track the blocking of fraudulent transactions and investigations.In an official release, PMO said Modi expressed concern over rising misuse of digital platforms to defraud citizens and stressed that such matters “require coordinated, sensitive and time-bound handling by all agencies concerned”. He also emphasised the need for clear ownership, faster response, better coordination among law enforcement agencies, banks and digital platforms, and stronger public awareness campaigns.“Prime Minister observed that in cases involving cyber fraud, timely action is crucial to prevent financial loss and restore public confidence,” the official statement said.While reviewing TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, PM suggested assigning one block each to a Class-1 officer and create a team of NCC cadets and MY Bharat volunteers, for awareness, patient follow-up and community mobilisation. He asked chief secretaries from four states & one UT– West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat and Ladakh — to spell out the plan to achieve the goal.Reviewing infrastructure projects, Modi stressed on the use of PM GatiShakti National Master Plan for efficient planning and timely implementation while underlining the need for regular and timely updation of project details, utilities, infrastructure layers, clearances and other field-level information on the portal. He said the platform must reflect the latest ground situation so that bottlenecks can be identified in advance, inter-agency coordination can be improved and decisions can be taken on the basis of reliable, real-time data.
