Government of India has decided to launch a pan-India toll-free helpline – Elder Line – to help the abandoned elderly or those prone to abuse, in various ways apart from providing emotional support and information on old age homes.
The helpline will likely to be launched on January 26, and the helpline -14567- is set to take off in many states by March, reported The Times of India. Those elderly persons seeking legal advice related to the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act (MWPSC) will also be assisted.
The call centres in the name of "connect centres" will be started and they will steer interventions between various government departments and agencies through field staff.
Government agencies dedicated to the welfare of senior citizens and field staff will work closely assist the elderly. The government has also proposed to link the helpline to tribunals handling maintenance-related cases and also provide updates on cases being handled by each tribunal.
Currently, there is no consolidated database on maintenance related cases. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJ&E) now hopes to bridge this gap.
MSJ&E Secretary R Subramanyam said, "We want to build 'Elder Line' on the lines of Childline-1098. The idea to link tribunals is a bid to step up monitoring of the implementation of the MWPSC Act," he said.
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