Though several cases registered with the helpline are yet to be solved, the police claim that they have managed to resolve some serious issues in a quick time because of the helpline.

An 80-year-old P B Shinde managed to clear the encroachment on his land in Satara district using this helpline service. Shinde, a resident of Tirupati Apartments on Sinhagad Road, was extremely happy and wrote a letter to the police for appreciating the helpline activity.

Jyoti Pund of Athashree foundation, who is the co-ordinator of senior citizen’s helpline, said Shinde is a resident of Tirupati Apartments on Sinhagad Road. “He rang up the 1091 number on December 12 to make a complaint against encroachments on his farm land in Akhade village of Satara. Shinde sought help from the police for clearing this encroachment,” Pund said.

“Accordingly, I informed the Satara police through the helpline about this issue. A team of Satara police got the encroachments removed from Shinde’s farm,” she added.

Overjoyed, Shinde sent a letter to the police commissionerate. In his letter, he showered “blessings and praises” on the helpline service and the police department.

Pund said that many elders have expressed their thanks for the helpline service either by meeting in person or through telephone after the police solved their problems.

Though majority of the senior citizens have approached the helpline with their personal issue, some have also used the services for solving social problems.

Just two weeks before, a 65-year-old citizen from Kothrud called the helpline to inform the police about a group of youngsters who had created a nuisance by operating a gambling den near his residence. The Kothrud police raided the spot and nabbed the hooligans.

Interestingly, the police have also helped some lonely senior citizens in household issues like installation of domestic LPG gas connections at their home. Besides, a team of legal experts and medical practitioners is associated with the helpline for addressing the problems of senior citizens.

The helpline has received as many as 845 calls from June 7 to January 2008. The Pune police has appealed to senior citizens to use this facility. The police will specially look into the problems of those senior citizens who are lonely or staying away from their families.