Kanti Velugu screened 14,92,450 people so far

Hyderabad: With the State government going in for a massive recruitment drive, libraries and coaching centres in the capital city are having a field day with hundreds of students and unemployed youth thronging these institutes to prepare for Groups exams. The situation is similar in all the districts and division centres of the State.

A visit to the City Central Library at Ashok Nagar has brought to the fore, the difficulties faced by the students due to poor vision. When asked, V Venkatesh Naik from a remote tribal hamlet of Mahabubnagar district has stated that he had the problem of tears rolling from his eyes when he is studying. Hailing from a poor agricultural family, he could not afford to visit a private doctor for his problem of short sight. He was also negligent to visit a government hospital.

He was informed by his parents that the Kanti Velugu camp was being organised in his village. He reached his village and went to the camp where the doctors tested him and provided him reading glasses free of cost. With the help of reading glasses, his problem of tears rolling from his eyes subsided and he is now in a position to concentrate on his studies, asserts Venkatesh Naik. He thanked the Chief Minister for launching the Kanti Velugu programme which has not only provided eyesight to him, but also made him aim for a better life for himself.

Venkatesh Naik is not the only one from the State to be benefited by the Kanti Velugu scheme. Thousands of youth attending colleges and applying for competitive exams and who were suffering from problem of poor vision and other sight related disorders are being treated by the government free of cost at the Kanti Velugu centres across the State. The government has been treating 50,000 people daily on an average ever since the campaign was kick started on January 18.

The State government in its report dated January 30 stated that Kanti Velugu camps were completed in 507 Gram Panchayats so far while it is in progress in 979 gram panchayats. Likewise, the camp has been successfully completed in 205 wards while it is in progress in 525 wards across the State. So far, 14,92,450 people have been screened of which 6,88,966 were male, 7,95,1951female while 625 belong to transgender community and 3,38,608 have been handed over reading glasses. Prescription spectacles will be provided to 2,34,979 persons. 9,18,662 people do not have any eye related issues.