BENGALURU: Elderline-Karnataka helpline (14567), which was launched in 2021, has been downsised. It has been functioning with only seven employees across the state since June as the Union Government has decided to restart the process to select NGOs responsible for handling it. Bengaluru-based Nightingale Medical Trust was selected to run the Karnataka wing of the national helpline for senior citizens. Now, the organisation is said to be facing issues in running the helpline as it has not received funds from the Union Government since April. It might become inoperative soon.
Premkumar Raja, co-founder of Nightingale Medical Trust, said the Union Government directed the trust in April to continue functioning for three more months (till June) after which it was asked to reduce the number of employees working under the project. Since June, no communication has been received from the government, he added. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the National Institute of Social Defence launched the project in association with the states across the country.
Sheshappa R, Joint Director, Directorate for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, admitted that the helpline project faced many problems. He said that he has no information about when the selection process will begin. Till June, the project had around 30 employees, including 15 field response officers, who cater to the needs of senior citizens at the ground level and are closely associated with rescue operations. Raja said now with no field officers, the helpline is only providing call services.
The helpline was launched to address issues such as abuse, rescue or enquiry related to availing pension by senior citizens. Since its inception in 2021, the helpline has received more than 1 lakh calls by senior citizens. Programme officers of the project underscored the importance of the helpline stating that the number of cases related to abuse of senior citizens has gone up.