Kanti Velugu, the State’s universal eye-screening programme, is being launched to make Telangana ‘avoidable blindness-free’ and not to gain votes in the coming elections, said Minister for Energy and SC Development G. Jagadish Reddy.
“Telangana is the only State to launch such a scheme and there is no hidden agenda,” he said.
The 120-day exercise starting from August 15 would include screening tests across the State, to identify eye problems and correct them.
Addressing a meeting attended by officials from Nalgonda, Suryapet and Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri districts here on Wednesday, Mr. Reddy said the scheme, like KCR Kits, Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima and others, was apolitical and welfare-targeted.
Informing the officials of the scheme details, Principal Secretary, Health Department, A. Santi Kumari said a plan was put in place to cover all the citizens in the State. In close collaboration with several voluntary organisations and 114 hospitals identified across Telangana, not just vision correction, but surgeries would be performed, she said. “It will be an integrated eye-care service.”
District Collectors Gaurav Uppal, K. Surendra Mohan and Anita Ramachandran, spelling out their strategies for successful implementation of the scheme, said health teams were formed and gram panchayat and school buildings were identified as venues for taking up eye screening.
Urging the need for a coordinated work, Zilla Parishad Chairman Balu Naik reminded that the local body representatives should take the initiative as gram panchayats now lack sarpanches.
A host of leaders from various constituencies along with district officials were present.
