SENIOR CITIZENS’ CELL A RELIABLE SUPPORT FOR THE OLD IN PRAYAGRAJ

PRAYAGRAJ : Ever since the district police reactivated its senior citizens’ cell set up to help old people, many elderly persons have approached them and have got desired support.

The cell was set up a few years back but could not become fully functional due to various reasons. Later when my incidents of crime targeting aged people were reported last year, the district police reactivated the cell at the request of the people in November 2019.

SSP Sarvshrestha Tripathi said any senior citizen who needs may call on helpline number 9454405200.

“So far, 842 elderly people have got their details registered with the police. Of them, 76 senior citizens have got themselves registered with the cell this year alone,” said senior citizens’ cell in-charge Umashankar Yadav.

After receiving a complaint on the cell, police not solve their problems but also provide them medical help and even food in case of emergency. The kin of senior citizens in distress were also warned if it was observed that they were not taking good care of them or harassing them, police officials said.

In a recent incident, an aged person called Colonelganj SHO and informed him that his elder son lived in the US while the younger who was living here was harassing him. The police immediately rushed to the address and counselled the aged man’s son while sorting out the differences between the father and the son.

In another instance, a retired official’s aged sister was lying sick outside SRN Hospital. Police rushed to her rescue when someone informed SP city Dinesh Kumar Singh about her plight. The woman was turned out by her kin but police got her admitted to a hospital where she was being treated now.

In one more such incident, an aged woman of Kareli area called on senior citizen cell helpline and complained that she was turned out of her house by her sons. The police gave an immediate response to the woman’s complaint and gave a stern warning to her sons.

Moreover, all police stations of the district have been asked to carry out verification and collect details of senior citizens living under their jurisdictions.