Centre's helpline for elderly receives 475 actionable calls from 5 states since April-May

The Centre has launched a helpline for the elderly in five states, including Karnataka, to address their problems related to the Covid-19 pandemic, providing emotional support and an avenue for them to report abuse.

The helpline number – 14567 – named as Elderline builds upon the experience of Telangana which had launched the initiative in the state in 2019.

The facility has been made operational with assistance from Tata Trusts and NSE Foundation.

The Elderline service is operational in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu and has been handling calls for assistance from the elderly.

“Efforts are being made to make them functional in all states by end of May 2021,” an official statement said.

According to data shared by the ministry, 71 actionable calls were received from Tamil Nadu, 163 from Madhya Pradesh, 25 from Rajasthan and 122 from Karnataka since April 28.

In Uttar Pradesh where the helpline was started on May 14, a total of 94 actionable calls were received, it stated.

The Elderline initiative is part of the efforts of the Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment aimed at the welfare of senior citizens.

After the Union Budget, the government had said it would launch special schemes under the Senior Citizen Welfare Fund (SCWF) for assisting start-ups in the space of Silver Economy promoting innovative products and processes for the welfare of the elderly.

Apart from this, CSR funds would be encouraged to invest in promoting the silver economy, a senior official said, adding that an amount of Rs 50 crore has been allocated from the SCWF for 2021-22.