Toll-free number yet to become functional

Hyderabad, March 30:
The toll-free distress helpline (1091) for women is yet to be implemented in Cyberabad because of lack of connectivity.The facility provided by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is already in operation in Hyderabad.The police department has also sought conversion of the helpline to a three digit number but there has been no response from the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited so far.As such, there are many complaints that when 1091 is dialled there is no response.

“I was standing at the Basheerbagh bus station when some eve teasers came there,” said Ms P. Rajani, an MNC employee.“I called up the toll free number but there was no response from the other side,” Ms Rajani complained.However, a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited official told this correspondent that the service was active and lack of response was only an occasional problem.

The official further said that the police request to convert it into a three-digit number could not be effected since it is a centralised number being used throughout the country.“A policy decision at is needed at top level to convert it into a three digit number,” said Mr V.V. Prasad, divisional engineer of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited .

The divisional engineer also said that the department had not got any request from the police department to give a separate connection for the Cyberabad zone.The Inspector General (CID), Mr S. Umapati, said that the proposal to convert the helpline to a three digit number had been submitted long back.