Had this number for 20 yrs, won’t change now: Officer

BENGALURU: One small act of appreciation has ended up making a Karnataka-cadre IPS officer a one-man helpline for migrant labourers from Bihar stranded anywhere in the country.Inspector general of police (administration) Seemanth Kumar Singh has so far helped hundreds of migrant workers, coordinating with his counterparts in other states to ensure the migrants get rations and medical help on time.The first of the SOS calls came soon after the lockdown was announced on March 24. Seemanth was baffled as Bihari workers in other states called him up and sought food packets and rations. Even as he helped them out while explaining he was just a police officer, hundreds of calls kept coming through.The source became evident soon. An acquaintance of Seemanth had called him up after the lockdown announcement, seeking food for 400 Bihari labourers stuck in Bengaluru.With the help of ADGP Dayanand B in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a team reached out to the stranded labourers and delivered food packets through police and an NGO.Impressed with and thankful for Seemanth’s prompt help, his acquaintance narrated the incident to a local newspaper which went on to publish an article celebrating the IGP’s enterprise. It also provided his mobile number, saying Bihari labourers in need of help anywhere in the country could call this number.Unknown to Seemanth, his number was shared across WhatsApp groups in Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka , Kerala and Tamil Nadu and soon transformed into a “helpline number” for migrant Bihari labourers.“When they call me, I cannot tell them to contact the official helpline number as they are already in distress,” Seemanth said.“I collect information and help them by sharing it with police, NGOs, BBMP and concerned authorities. On a daily basis, I get hundreds of phone calls, mainly asking for basic rations and food packets. Most of them do not know that the number belongs to an IPS officer; they assume it is a helpline number for migrant workers,” the officer said.One family stranded in Kerala without food reached out to me. They were not aware of where they were so I asked them to send a photo from a nearby store. We tracked them with the address written on the board and my batchmate helped them with groceries and rations,” he said.While some requests he can help meet, the IGP says he gets demands far beyond his “jurisdiction”. “Some people demanded that special trains be run to take them back home and asked me to book tickets,” Seemanth laughed.Seemanth said he has had the number for 20 years and isn’t thinking of changing it now. “Though calls are increasing day by day, I will continue to help with whatever I can. I hope some day, my personal number will remain with me after the situation relaxes.”Of late, though, some other people are calling him too. “I am getting calls from individuals who are willing to sponsor food packets. I take down their details and pass it on to the local police or local authorities who collect donations to feed stranded workers,” he said. Safe to say, for now, the IGP is not putting anyone on hold.