The Hindu

It will help in processing the applications and also take follow-up action 

• Elders can approach it with a ration card or voter identity card and proof of income
• Elders' Helpline gets majority of complaints about harassment from family members and cheating
• Government agencies criticised for lack of concern towards the problems of senior citizens

Bangalore, Apr 11: Elderly, indigent people can now approach the Elders' Helpline office on the premises of Police Commissioner's office with a ration card or a voter identity card and proof of their income. The helpline will assist the person to fill a form and then process the application to get him or her Rs. 200 a month as a pension from the State Government.

Police Commissioner Ajai Kumar Singh on Monday April 10, inaugurated a helpdesk that would take care of all the hassles associated with processing the application to help senior citizens to get pension.

Apart from filling the forms, the helpline (phone 1090) would provide assistance in getting medical certificates, arranging photographs for identity cards, opening bank accounts, submitting supporting documents and also take follow-up action.

Singh expressed concern over the problems faced by senior citizens.

He said the helpline, which was run by Nightingales Medical Trust, was receiving more complaints from elders regarding harassment by their family members.

This was followed by complaints of cheating by private and public agencies. These two formed more that 50 per cent of the complaints coming to the helpline.

He said the police have been supporting the helpline, which is celebrating its fourth anniversary, by providing personnel and machinery.

Some senior citizens participating in the programme expressed their anger over lack of concern of the Government machinery towards the problems of senior citizens. They picked loopholes in the pension scheme.

R. Nagaraj said the scheme insists that poor people produce an address proof and an income certificate to get the benefit. "How can a person, who is toiling on the streets of the city, get these documents? Can you expect such people to come all the way to the helpdesk to get the pension?" he asked. Nagaraj wanted the Government to make modifications in the scheme to help destitute senior citizens.