Jammu, Sep 17 (PTI) Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday launched the senior citizens national helpline ""Elderline-14567” in Jammu and Kashmir and said it will serve as a vital support system to comfort the distressed elderly through a dedicated decentralised call center. He said the administration is moving towards 100 percent saturation of all 55 public welfare schemes of the central government to reach each and every needy in the UT. On the occasion, the Lt Governor also distributed motorised tricycles, prosthetic and other aids worth Rs 3.25 crore to divyangs (disabled persons) from across the union territory. "Elderline will serve as a vital support system to comfort the distressed elderly through a dedicated decentralised call center, extending emotional care and support, health services, and other aids to needy senior citizens. This toll-free helpline will fill a crucial gap in the institutionalised eldercare ecosystem in UT," Sinha said. During the launch, it was also informed that the J-K maintenance and welfare for parents and senior citizens rules 2021 have been prepared and will be notified in a few days, an official statement said. "The social welfare department shall be holding panchayat level assessment camps to identify all those in need of any kind of prosthetic aid and the J&K government shall ensure that all eligible persons are provided with requisite prosthetic and other aids within this year," Sinha said. He said about nine lakh people have received funds under different pension schemes. Another, 2,72,000 people have been added to pension schemes, and for the first time in the history of UT, pensions have been provided to transgenders, he added. The LG said that in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saksham scheme has been started by the UT administration to provide financial help to the families who have suffered due to coronavirus. "Under this, the families who have lost their breadwinners will be given a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 and special scholarship has been arranged for the children who have become orphaned due to Covid, besides extending benefits of other social welfare schemes to them," the Lt Governor said. PTI AB AQS AQS