Bandra senior citizen has developed a close bond with cops at 1090 helpline and calls them daily; they had even gifted her cake, flowers and sweets on her last birthday
Bandra senior citizen has developed a close bond with cops u00a0at 1090 helpline and calls them daily; they had even gifted u00a0her cake, flowers and sweets on her last birthdayu00a0
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Aruna Chaudhary, a 65-year-old widow, has been calling 1090, the 24x7 helpline for the elderly, almost daily for the last three years. Thanks to the thoughtful cops, Aruna has a reason to look forward to her birthday on January 14.
"I would not have been alive, if it was not for 1090. It is a blessing to me," says Aruna, who is bedridden since 1995 due to arthritis and depression. Her husband passed away in 1991.
State Director General of Police A N Roy, the brain behind the helpline service, told MiD DAY, "The idea behind launching the service was to reach out to senior citizens to develop a sense of confidence in them about their security and to let them know that we care."
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Sanjay Mohite, who has been supervising the functioning of 1090 since its inception on May 2, 2006, said, "Our aim is to lend a helping hand to senior citizens who stay alone and are distressed. Senior citizens should get themselves registered with 1090, as help is merely a call away."
26/11 and u00a0u00a0Indo-China war
As an airhostess, Aruna Chaudhary flew Indian Army soldiers to the Bomdila range on the Indo-China border from 1961 to 1964.
She recalls, "During the 1962 war, some of our soldiers asked me if I could convey to PM Jawaharlal Nehru how difficult it was to fight with outdated weapons. Sadly, after so many years, during the 26/11 attacks, our policemen were handicapped by their old weapons, while the terrorists had the latest," Aruna says.
3,905 Senior citizens registered with 1090 in Mumbai
262 Senior citizens registered with 1090 in Bandra
175 Single senior citizens in Bandra registered with 1090
87 Number of elderly who live as a couple in Bandrau00a0u00a0
2 The number of visits that two constables from a local police station are required to make every week
Inputs by P M George, senior inspector, Bandra police station
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