Gandhinagar, Dec 2 (PTI) Gujarat has taken 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, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Tuesday.

He also flagged the issue of online frauds in the banking and finance sector and 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 made the remarks while chairing the 187th meeting of the State-Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) in Gandhinagar.

Gujarat has taken 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 the Deputy Chief Minister 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 three best-performing Lead District Managers of Gujarat for their outstanding work in the second quarter of the financial year 2025.

Sanghavi raised the issue of cybercrimes, labelling them "one of the biggest challenges of the present time".

He emphasised that the government, together with the banking sector, can carry out result-oriented action to prevent such crimes.

Citing an example, Sanghavi pointed out 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 citizen in Ahmedabad fell prey to 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 elderly 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 cyber crime, Sanghavi told the meeting.

If every bank employee across the state works with such vigilance and humanitarian approach, Gujarat will surely succeed in reducing cybercrimes, the Deputy Chief Minister asserted.

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 nationalized banks and departments also attended the meeting. PTI KVM PD RSY

Gujarat forms joint committee of police and bank officers to block funds and aid victims of cyber banking frauds. Gujarat ordered formation of a joint committee of Home Department officials, Gujarat police and bank nodal officers to protect funds of cyber fraud victims by coordinating prompt action to block or freeze amounts involved in reported cybercrimes, with emphasis on proactive bank cooperation and vigilance by bank staff to prevent fraudulent transfers.