Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials to expedite setting up of medical colleges in the state.
Reviewing the pace of construction of buildings to accommodate the newly sanctioned medical colleges with senior officials here, the CM instructed them to hold talks with District Collectors from East and West Godavari, Krishna and Kurnool to acquire lands for college buildings and ensure that there was no paucity of funds. He particularly asked for early construction of college buildings for which the judicial preview had been completed.
The officials informed the CM that tenders were awarded for the works of medical colleges coming up at Paderu, Pulivendula, Piduguralla and Machilipatnam so far, and said that for the remaining 12 colleges, tenders would be called before May 21.
The CM also reviewed the implementation of YSR Kanti Velugu scheme and asked the officials to provide glasses to the aged persons free of cost and also arrange operation for the needy under the scheme.
The officials briefed the CM that they had carried out eye tests on 66,17,613 schoolchildren and operations were performed on as many as 293 children to correct their vision. They said that 60,393 schools had been covered so far and 1,58,227 children were given a pair of glasses each. They also said that under the third phase of the scheme, eye tests were conducted on 8,09,262 aged persons, of whom 3,90,479 were provided with glasses-free of cost. They added that 41,193 persons underwent surgeries across the state.
