Koraput: District police on Thursday formed a senior citizen forum to ensure their security and address their grievances.
In the first phase, special identity cards were distributed among 105 senior citizens in a function attended by deputy inspector general (south-western range) Asish Singh and Koraput MP Jhina Hikaka.
"The police will visit homes of the registered senior citizens once every fortnight to help them resolve their problems. Each ward of the town will have a special police officer. The officer will interact with the senior citizens to understand their problems and take necessary corrective measures at the earliest," said Koraput police superintendent Kanwar Vishal Singh.
"It is not that senior citizens not included in the forum will not get police attention, but more emphasis will be given to address the grievances of the enlisted members," he said.
The police said that initially the forum had been formed in Koraput town, but gradually, it would be formed in other parts of the district. Additional superintendent of police V.R. Rao has been appointed as the nodal officer of the forum.
"As the senior citizens have raised problems related to parking, standing in long queues in banks and hospitals, non-availability of seats in buses and several other issues, the registered members of the forum would be given preferential treatment with co-ordination of all departments of the district," said Rao.
"They will be given a special phone number. On getting their call, the police will reach them at the minimum response time," he said.
Detailed data of the forum members will be kept at the district police headquarters.
Also, the police launched free e-rickshaw service for the senior citizensEach day, the e-rickshaw will ferry senior citizens from railway stations to the bus stand, police superintendent's office and the collectorate.<>"At present, we have introduced one battery operated e-rickshaw, and it will ferry senior citizens free of cost to various destinations inside the town. Depending on its success, more e-rickshaws will be introduced," said Singh.
