Do you have time to talk to us for a while? Can you help me in getting an LPG cylinder? Do you have any new healthy recipes? Such are the questions faced by the city police on a helpline meant to curb atrocities against senior citizens.
The helpline has received a good response and the senior citizens are happy with the help they receive after making the call, said sources at the social security cell (SCC)of the city police.
At present there are 2,646 senior citizens registered with 33 police stations in the city. Yerawada police station has the maximum number of 1,026 senior citizens registered with it and the least number is 10 senior citizens registered with Koregoan Park police station.
Senior inspector SW Nikam, incharge of social security cell (SCC) and who looks after senior citizen issues, said, “The grievances made by senior citizens on the helpline are mostly about how their Aadhar card could be made, need for police protection when they go to the bank to withdraw cash as in between many citizens were targeted near banks. Some of the police personnel escort them to the bank.”
After learning about such calls, we collected data from plumbers, newspaper vendors, and officials from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations and others,” said Nikam.
Jyoti Pund (59), a co-ordinator at a non-governmental organisation, takes the calls made to the helpline on weekdays between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm at the Pune police commissionerate office. Pund says 30 to 50 calls are received daily and around 300 calls monthly.
Pund said, “Many calls are received between 1 pm and 3 pm. The first question is: do you have time to speak? The issues are varied: their children are not taking care of them, property issues, civic and personal issues like power cuts. Some want someone to travel with them to pay the electricity bill. Some complain about LPG dealer not delivering the cylinder. They also complain about their domestic help not turning up. Many senior citizens not registered with the city police do call us up often. Even when they go on a vacation to their children’s home aboard they try to interact with us.”
She added, “We try to solve their problems. Sometimes they need plumbers. Many a time policemen approach such senior citizens and do the plumbing work without taking any money. We have a tele-caller phone where the number of the telephone or mobile number from which the call is made is on display. A day after their call is attended to by us, we call them up and find they are happy and satisfied.”
When Jyoti Pund is absent, assistant police inspector Ashwini Jagtap attached to the SSC addresses the calls. Jagtap told dna, “In some of the calls, the senior citizens share tips about recipes and ask for suggestions from us. Other issues include barking by neighbour’s dogs, movie reviews, change in Indian culture and lifestyle of Pune city.”
Jagtap added, “The senior citizens also informed us about absence of street lights and that vendors have encroached on the footpath. When we contacted the civic authorities and their work is done, they appreciate us.”
Anjali Raje, executive director of International Longevity Centre India, said, “Senior citizens need good listeners who can interact with them patiently. I think the helpline should have a four-digit number, which can be easily remembered.”
Dial this number
Senior citizens’ helpline number 020-26111103. It is open from Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.
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