The Telangana State Dr. BR Ambedkar Secretariat witnessed a grand celebration marking the successful completion of 100 days of the Kanti Velugu program. Finance and Health Minister Harish Rao, along with esteemed ministers Prashanth Reddy, Srinivas Goud, Jagadish Reddy, and Gangula Kamalakar, as well as TSMSIDC Chairman Errolla Srinivas, graced the occasion by cutting a cake to commemorate this significant milestone.
The Kanti Velugu program, initiated under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister KCR, aims to provide preventive measures and eradicate blindness in Telangana. Minister Harish Rao lauded the efforts of the Health Department, other departments, and public representatives involved in organizing this remarkable initiative. He praised Chief Minister KCR’s compassionate and proactive approach in implementing this ambitious scheme, which offers free eye examinations and spectacles to the people of Telangana.
With a focus on preventive eye care, the Kanti Velugu program has successfully screened a staggering 161 million people across the state. Among them, 40.59 lakh individuals, constituting 25.1 percent, have been identified as visually impaired. As part of the program, 22.51 lakh people have received free reading glasses, while 18.08 lakh people have been provided with prescription glasses at no cost.
The Kanti Velugu program has been completed in all 24 districts of the state. Minister Harish Rao urged the officials to maintain the same dedication and spirit in the remaining nine districts to ensure the completion of eye screenings throughout Telangana.
The Telangana State Government launched the Kanti Velugu Scheme with the vision to eliminate eye-related issues and ensure the well-being of every citizen. Recognizing the increasing prevalence of visual impairments due to lifestyle changes and various work pressures, the government, under the guidance of Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao, commenced the second phase of the Kanti Velugu program as a hundred working days initiative on January 18 this year.
Upon completion of the screenings, immediate provision of reading glasses and delivery of prescription glasses within four weeks were ensured. The camps were meticulously organized, and once the Kanti Velugu program was completed in a district, the staff members were reassigned to their regular duties, while those in the remaining districts were provided with food, accommodation, and transportation facilities.
