launching of “Kanti Velugu”, India’s first of its kind universal eye screening programme, was the highlight of the Independence Day celebrations in Telangana on Wednesday.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao launched the State-wide programme at Malkapur village of Toopran in Medak district on Wednesday by inaugurating an eye camp and distributing of spectacles.
Other public representatives inaugurated the programme in their respective constituencies. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the Government was committed to ensure universal eye health in the State and all the 3.7 crore people will be covered by the programme in all the 12751 villages. “There will not be any need to spend a single rupee by the people”, he said.
Ruing that differences on caste and communal lines were the biggest problem in the country, he urged the people to remain united. “Even the gender differences and discrimination is only in our country”, he said, pointing out that 90% of the pilots in Russia were women.
Apart from screening the Government will provide spectacles and also medicines, surgeries and other treatments free of cost. The Government has constituted 812 teams of doctors and other staff to conduct the eye camps.
Earlier in the morning the Chief Minister hoisted the national flag at the rampart of Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad and took salute of a ceremonial parade. Before reaching the fort he laid wreath at the Martyrs Memorial and paid his tributes.
KCR said that in a very short span of time Telangana has earned the national recognition with rapid strides it made in various sectors. He recalled that even the Prime Minister Narendar Modi had praised the progress made by Telangana since its formation. He cited 24 hours free power supply to the farmers, construction of numerous irrigation projects to ensure irrigation of 1 crore acres of land in the State and insurance for the farmers as the major achievements of his Government.