Excise Department launches help desks for public

Those in need of emergency services may contact dept.

Joining hands with other uniformed forces across the State to fight the pandemic, the Excise Department has started district-level special help desks which will deal with all emergency service requests from citizens. Those who are in need of transportation arrangement for vaccination or any other emergency needs can contact the department’s State-level help desk (04712-322825/9447178000) or district-level help desks.

The department launched the new initiative even as excise officials are busy with enforcement activities against illicit liquor trade and drug trafficking in the wake of lockdown regulations. Officials attached to the State-level help desk say the service will be available 24x7 and they will reroute distress calls to district-level help desks for speedy action.

Separate help desks (9188458494/9495002270) have been constituted under the Vimukti de-addiction scheme for offering online counselling. Those suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms can make use of the 24x7 service at free of cost. Professional counsellors from the Health Department have also been appointed to assist the tele-counselling service.

Kozhikode Deputy Excise Commissioner Muhammed Newman says there has been very good response from the public after the launch of the district-level help desk (04952376762/2372927). “We are even getting calls from COVID-19 patients for hospitalisation and other medical support. For hospitalisation requests, we seek the ambulance support of the Health Department,” he adds.

Mr. Newman also points out that there is a flawless system in place to monitor the actions taken on each request. “We are recording all calls for official verification purpose. The officers in charge of the help desk will be responsible for reporting the details of each action taken after attending the help desk calls,” he told The Hindu .

Though the Department is busy with strengthening its field public support activities, the increasing number of personnel put under quarantine has emerged as a challenge. In Kozhikode district alone, there are now 30 officials in home quarantine. Six of them are also COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment.