Helpline in need of help

A child welfare service says patrons are harassing it due to a misinformation campaign

If you have got e-mail about a child helpline number that would collect the leftovers from your place to give it to needy children, please don't call it.

The mail, which has been doing the rounds of the web world, claims if you have some food left over from a party at home or some other occasion, you can call up 1098 so that it could be collected from your place and given to needy children.

The mail also says, "Please circulate this message which can help feed many children. Pass this to all whom you know and whom you don't know as well. It is followed with a picture of hungry child and it implores you to forward it to all. However, the Delhi-based NGO is tired of the overwhelming generosity of patrons and excused itself saying that it doesn't run any such service. "We definitely help under privileged children but we don't go collecting food from door to door," a senior NGO official told MiD DAY.

"The message was probably meant for a good purpose, but it would actually result in doing the opposite, blocking and jamming the line. 1098, the toll free emergency number should be kept free for emergency calls from children and others in the time of distress or for concerned citizens to report a child who is in need of our help," he added.

"It is always advisable to check the authenticity of any information before circulating it. We have also issued a warning of the above at the bottom of our homepage. We sincerely request you to spread the word about the same so that we are able to work smoothly for the broader cause we have undertaken," the official said.