Helpline for civic problems flooded with calls for groceries, medicines, psychological help

By Sahil Pandey
New Delhi [India], May 6 (ANI): During the lockdown phase, a helpline launched by AAP MLA Raghav Chadha has been working to cater to the requirements of people in his constituency, Rajinder Nagar, and adjoining areas in the national capital.
The helpline was launched right after the results of the Assembly election were declared with the purpose to make it easier for the public to connect with their MLA and get their grievances like electricity, water etc issues resolved.
But after the lockdown started they started receiving all types of calls ranging from groceries, medical to even psychological help.
A team of 5-7 volunteers, who are working from their homes, are taking close to 600 calls per day from the complainants and are trying to get their grievances resolved as soon as possible.
"As the lockdown is on and people are not able to approach the legislators, we had started a helpline in Rajinder Nagar. We have been getting requests not only from our constituency but also from other parts of Delhi," Chadha told ANI.
"There is a team of 5-7 volunteers who are working round the clock. We all are going through a difficult phase, hence, medicines, groceries among other essentials are being provided to the public through the helpline," he added.
Chadha said that the helpline number- 9910944444- can be used to get in touch with his team.
Narrating an incident, the AAP MLA said that his team of volunteers had recently helped a pregnant lady reach a hospital for her check-ups as she was facing difficulties due to her home falling in a containment zone.
Payal Sarkar, Associate Fellow, Delhi Legislative Assembly Research Centre who is working as a volunteer, said, "Initially, we started with three people and this helpline became the outlet where we could connect with the public. We try to solve as many issues being faced by the public as we can. We also have a follow-up mechanism in place here."
Sarkar emphasised that the helpline gained popularity during the Covid-19 lockdown phase, as earlier they used to receive around 25-60 calls per day which has now jumped to around 600 per day.
As of Wednesday morning, Delhi is the third-worst hit by Covid-19 in the country with 5,104 cases, including 64 deaths. However, 1468 patients have been cured and discharged after treatment in the national capital. (ANI)