Staff Reporter : Kolkata, 3rd January 2026: Standing in solidarity with the city’s elderly, Kolkata Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Manoj Kumar Verma, visited the Pronam office in Tollygunge today and interacted with over 100 senior citizen members of the initiative.
Addressing the senior citizens the Commissioner of Police struck a cautionary note, he warned about Cyber Crimes, “Stay healthy, joyful and in the real world that you belong to. Don’t fall into the trap of the virtual world. Don’t ever think you are alone, Kolkata Police is always beside you.”
The visit, attended by Mr Sundeep Bhutoria, Secretary General of The Bengal, Ms Esha Dutta and Arindam Sil, Joint Convenors of Pronam, senior officials of Kolkata Police were present.
The Bengal team members Ms Priti Patel and Ms Nayantara Pal Choudhury, felicitated the CP. The visit concluded with a short but engaging cultural programme presented by Pronam members.
Pronam, a pioneering community service model for the elderly, is a joint initiative of Kolkata-based NGO The Bengal and Kolkata Police, started in 2009. Former chief minister Jyoti Basu and iconic Bengali film star Suchitra Sen were among the first to enroll as Pronam members, and the membership base has now grown to over 20,000 senior citizens.
“The elderly are often the most vulnerable because of age-related infirmities and loneliness. The Commissioner of Police, Sri Manoj Kumar Verma’s visit to the Pronam centre in Tollygunge reinforces Kolkata Police’s unwavering support in providing security, reassurance and a sense of belonging to senior citizens. Pronam has successfully created a community service model that addresses both the physical and psychological needs of the elderly,” said Mr Sundeep Bhutoria, Secretary General, The Bengal.
“More than 100 Pronam members, including several octogenarians, personally expressed their gratitude to the Police Commissioner and the Pronam team for standing by them in times of need and crisis. The Pronam project is a unique example of effective collaboration between Kolkata Police and non-governmental organization The Bengal in serving the city’s senior citizens,” said Ms Esha Dutta, Joint Convener of the Pronam project and committee member of The Bengal.
Senior citizens above the age of 65 years residing within the jurisdiction of Kolkata are eligible to become Pronam members. Kolkata Police has created a dedicated wing with special police staff tasked with responding to the needs of Pronam members, supported by dedicated landline and mobile numbers that allow senior citizens to reach out quickly in times of distress or emergency.
The Bengal provides social, cultural and moral support to Pronam members by organizing a variety of cultural, social and entertainment programmes through the year. Shree Cement has been extending financial support to the initiative as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, helping strengthen the safety net for Kolkata’s senior citizens.
