Kanti Velugu to help 3.5 crore people: Etela Rajender

Minister for Finance and Civil Supplies, Etela Rajender said the Kanti Velugu programme to be launched on August 15 will help address problems related vision related issues across the State.Telangana government has decided to test eyes of every individual under Kanti Velugu programme. The Minister conducted a review meeting on Kanti Velugu and farmer insurance along with MLCs, MLAs, MPPs, ZPTCs, Collectors, agricultural officials, medical officials, tahsildars and other public representatives, here, on Saturday. 

Rajender said 40 per cent of the people were suffering from eye problems. No government in the country has implemented such a programme. For the first time, Telangana government was going to take up eye screening test for 3.5 crore people across the State, he added.

The five and an half months long screening programme will start on August 15 and will continue up to January 26. A total of 799 medical teams have been appointed and 100 buffer teams have also been recruited.

Informing that action plan for eye screening had also been prepared, dates of testing would be announced in villages and towns through tom-tom well in advance. Besides providing spectacles, operations would also be done, if necessary, he added.

The Minister appealed to public representatives to camp in rural areas and cooperate with teams to complete 100 per cent screening.Talking about farmer insurance scheme, Rajender said distribution of insurance bonds would start from August 6. The scheme would become operational with effect from August 14 night.

Every farmer aged between 18 to 60 years and having pattadar passbook, would be given bonds. In order to provide financial support to kin of the deceased farmers, the government is implementing the scheme. Family members would get Rs 5 lakh if a farmer dies in an accident or naturally.

Cultural council chairman, Rasamai Balkishan, Karimnagar Municipal Corporation Mayor S Ravinder Singh, MLC Naradasu Laxman Rao, MLAs Gangula Kamalakar (Karimnagar), Bodige Shobha (Choppadandi), and Putta Madhu (Manthani), Medical and Health Department Commissioner Vakati Karuna, Jagityal Collector A Sharath and others participated in the meeting.