Dedicated helplines for women, tourists and elderly launched

VARANASI: IG Zone GL Meena inaugurated three helplines dedicated to senior citizens, tourists and women at a special function organised at city control room compound on Saturday evening.
Addressing the gathering, Meena praised the initiative and highlighted its relevance. The SSP BD Paulson discussed the reasons that made the police feel the need to introduce the helplines.DIG Range A Satish Ganesh was also present on the occasion.
The officials said a large number of elderly complainants were not only terrorized by anti-social elements for property-related gains, they also faced problems and threats from their own family members.
They said the services of tourist and women helplines can be availed in cases like attack or misbehaviour, chain or purse snatching, duping, teasing or sexual harassment and accidents. Efforts are being made to ensure police assistance availability within seven minutes of the call in city area and within 15 minutes in the rural belt.
When asked if the cops were linguistically equipped to handle foreign tourists' calls, the SSP replied, "I will personally monitor the functioning of these helplines. The flow of calls on the tourist helpline would be reviewed after a month, and if it is high, efforts would be made to hire persons knowing different languages."
Paulson said as the helpline numbers for these three services are not toll-free, the chances of fake calls as noticed at police control room (100) and fire control room (101) would remain low.
He said a dedicated team of three sub-inspectors and 12 constables has been created to handle these helplines.
The SIs are deployed to monitor the telephone duties by the constables in three shifts, he said, adding that separate registers have been provided to maintain record of each and every call and also the follow up action.
Kids pray for Malala: Praying for the life of Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year old Pakistani girl who was shot at in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen on October 9, the volunteers and kids associated with Vishal Bharat Sansthan recited Hanuman Chalisa at a temple in Shastrinagar colony in Sigra area on Saturday.
Describing the attack on Malala as an act of cowardice by Taliban, they also carried out a march from Shastri Park to Bharat Mata Mandir, and urged the global leaders to unite to end Taliban.