The functioning of Elder Line, the national helpline for the elderly (14567), remains partial in the State even as the year’s end approaches.
The helpline has been functioning with minimal staff following a communication from the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) to the Social Justice department that runs the helpline in the State.
Only the helpline call centre has been operating with five call officers, down from the original 10, and a team leader since July 1. Other staff members (there were 25 staff members in all) have been asked to stay away till the completion of agreement renewal for the 2023-26 period or December 15 to which date the existing agreement had been temporarily extended, say the helpline staff.
However, with only a few days left for the year to end, they are yet to hear about the agreement renewal or the future of the seven field response officers who were responsible for field activities in two districts each.
The State has signed and returned the new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to the NISD, but it has not been executed yet, say the staff. There is no mention of the field response officers in the new staff structure in the MoU.
Field-level activities have been suspended for months now. However, permanent withdrawal of direct field-level support to senior citizens will adversely affect the latter, they say. “The helpline has been limited to a call centre, and there is no clarification on the fate of field response officers or even the work of other staff after the extension of the agreement expired.”
Funds delay had been plaguing the helpline but that has been resolved to an extent, with funds till September this year sanctioned, they say.
Social Justice Director H. Dineshan clarifies that Elder Line had not been stopped. “The State has received the arrears. The Social Justice Principal Secretary and I have signed the new agreement and the existing agreement will continue till it comes into effect.”
He said that Vayomithram staff will be deployed for emergency field-level activities as part of the helpline.
