Kanti Velugu to light up lives of students: CM

Anantapur: The first phase of Kanti Velugu scheme was launched here on Thursday. The scheme is expected to benefit 70 lakh schoolchildren and 5.4 crore people to be implemented in 6 phases in a span of 3 years beginning from Thursday and ending in June 2022.

Addressing a public meeting at the Government Junior College grounds, the venue of launching the scheme on the World Eye Sight Day, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said that eyes are the light of life.

Quoting estimates, he said that of the 5.4 crore state population, 2.12 crore population are suffering from cataract, glucoma and other sight related problems. Also, 80 per cent of sight deficiency problems are curable and many of them if untreated would lead to blindness.

Giving details of the 'YSR Kanti Velugu' scheme, Jagan Reddy said that it will be implemented in 6 phases in a span of 3 years beginning from Thursday and ending in June 2022. Screening of schoolchildren will go on from October 10 to 16. The second phase will be from November 1 to December 30.

During this phase treatment of the screened children will be taken up at 'vision centres'. From February 1, 2020 onwards the remaining three phases will be taken up till January 2022.

He said that 40,000 Asha Workers, ANMs and Village Volunteers and a host of NGOs would help in the implementation of the scheme. Referring to irrigation requirements of Anantapur district, Jagan said that he as the grandson of the district will mitigate the sufferings of the backward

district.

He reiterated his commitment to modernise the Tungabhadra High Level Canal by widening it to accommodate an increase in the flow of water from 2,000 cusecs to 6,000 cusecs. He also promised to concede the demand for a parallel canal alongside the HLC for flow of water to cater to irrigational needs of the district.

The Chief Minister said he was happy to hear that recent rains have filled all village tanks. Earlier, three high school students of BC Residential schools, including Anusha, a 10th class student urged the Chief Minister to supply sanitary pads free of cost to girls who attained puberty studying in government schools so that they need not skip classes during menstruation period. Another student Bharath urged the Chief Minister to supply cycles to all high school students.