CHENNAI: The Chennai city police has launched an initiative to help the abandoned elderly and destitutes with integrated services provided by the Corporation, the Social Welfare Department, Old age homes and NGOs. The initiative named, ‘Kaaval Karangal’, rides along the importance of - Right to Live Human Dignity - mentioned in the Article 21 of the Indian constitution.
Commencing the initiative, city police commissioner, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, said, “It’s not just a police initiative. It’s a joint initiative from Helpage India, NGOs, Facetagr and Rotary Club. This platform is to help those who are in need of help.” The helpline number 1091, 1098, 1253 and 100 are integrated and calls which are related to identification of abandoned people are shared in the WhatsApp group that consists of people from different governmental and non-governmental agencies.
Personnel will identify any abandoned person and rush them to the nearest hospital if medical assistance is required. The initiative will pull in the nearest available vehicle from an NGO to drive to the hospital and a volunteer who will assist the elderly throughout the medical checkup. After proper medical care, efforts will be made to reunite the person with his or her relatives or family.
Aggarwal said that the details of missing persons will be uploaded on social media and the Facetagr App for quicker identification. The unclaimed bodies will be buried with dignity with the help of the volunteers who will perform the last rites, said the city police commissioner.
“From shifting the abandoned person, admitting to the hospital, finding a shelter, identifying a job to sustain livelihood and other services will be done with the initiative, since members of all departments are integrated in one platform with one aim,” said city police PRO, Assistant Commissioner, M S Bhaskar.