Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, and other dignitaries took part in the ‘Sankranti Sambaralu’ organised on the Swarna Bharath Trust premises at Venkatachalam near here on Friday.
Residents of the surrounding villages, local people’s representatives, and schoolchildren attended the programmes.
Among the dignitaries were Ministers P. Narayana, S. Chandramohan Reddy, and Kamineni Srinivas, and industrialist Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao of the GMR Group.
Performance of dances, rural arts, and cultural events reflecting the Sankranti fervour were the highlights.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said India had a rich culture and heritage, which should be protected and preserved keeping in mind the overall welfare of the future generations.
Mr. Naidu said he never missed any opportunity to celebrate Sankranti with his family, friends, and people of Nellore and Venkatachalam.
‘Call Netra’ launched
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu and Mr. Purohit later inaugurated the newly constructed Knowledge Centre on the trust premises.
They also dedicated to the nation the ‘Call Netra’ toll-free number –1800202211 – launched by the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute’s Tej Kohli Cornea Institute (TKCI) to provide quality eye care advice and referral support.
TKCI faculty Jagadesh Reddy and LVPEI executive chair Ramam Atmakuri were present.
The Call Netra is aimed at benefiting the rural poor by bridging the gaps such as poor accessibility and lack infrastructure and health care systems in the rural areas. Problems such as inadequate diagnosis and delay in treatment would be effectively addressed with expert advice through Call Netra.
