CHENNAI: After days of delay, the Southern Railway has finally resumed the electric power supply at Child Helpline (CHL) 1098 centres located at Chennai Central Railway station, along with Salem and Katpadi Railway stations.
The SR had cut off the power supply on June 24, alleging that CHL had to pay the EB charges. But after DT Next reported about the incident in a story titled, ‘Southern Railway cuts EB supply to Child Helpline centres in Central, 2 other stations’, on June28, action was promptly taken by the officials.
A senior official said, “After the media coverage, officials of the Department of Child Welfare and Special Services (DCWSS) met SR officials regarding the turn of events. After a few discussions, payment was made, and power supply was resumed. SR officials also ensured that such incidents would not be reported in the future.”
But CHL staff questioned how the SR officials decided to penalise a vital helpline connected with children without holding communication through proper channels.