Police to take care of senior citizens soon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To ensure the safety and security of the senior citizens, to provide meaningful and effective protection and to instil confidence in them, the Police will soon launch a Vayojana Suraksha Scheme (VSS). As  part of this a Senior Citizens Service Bureau (SCSB) will be established in the capital city, DGP Jacob Punnoose said in a press release here on Tuesday.  The SCSB will be under the control of the DGP and a nodal officer nominated by the DGP would take care of the day-to-day affairs. SCSB will be established in each police district and an officer in the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police will be the district nodal officer for the scheme. A data bank with details of all senior citizens in the district will be maintained in the District SCSBs. There will be a 24x7 helpline in the existing police control rooms in each district. It will provide all help to the elder people to get emergency services such as medical, ambulance and electricity and they can also get any required information from the District SCSBs. Police will verify the persons who are keeping in touch with the elders such as servants, electricians et al and the neighbours will be requested to keep an eye on the elder people.  The Senior Citizens Service Bureau, which will coordinate the activities of the District SCSBs, will also have a 24x7 helpline number to respond immediately to the needs of senior citizens. It will also coordinate its activities with social welfare and revenue officials and ensure the cooperation of those NGOs working for the senior citizens. A register will be kept in all police stations with the details of all the elder people in their limits, like that of the relatives, doctors, friends et al.   Senior citizens can register in an ‘elder line,’ a network of individuals and organisations who volunteer their services for the old people, which would be formed as part of the scheme. The Senior Citizens Service Bureau will interact with the senior citizens directly and over phone.  Moreover the elders in the state will be taken care of by the cops, who have been asked to deal them with patience, with a phone call a day and  weekly visit by the beat officers, the release read.