The government’s grand celebration of the world’s largest eye screening programme, Kanti Velugu, is overshadowed by the plight of ophthalmic officers and optometrists who have been waiting for months to receive their salaries. These dedicated professionals, responsible for the programme’s implementation, are facing financial hardships as they struggle to support their families.
Members of the optometrist and ophthalmic associations throughout the State, who actively participated in the Kanti Velugu programme, have expressed their concerns over the non-payment of salaries for the months of May and June. Additionally, Paramedical Ophthalmic Officers (PMOOs) who had their Auto Refractometer (AR) machines rented by the government have not received any payment since the second phase began in January 2023.
Speaking to The Hindu, Pujala Srinivasa Rao, president of the Rangareddy district Optometrist and Ophthalmic Association, stated, “We were hired by the government with an assurance of a monthly remuneration of ₹30,000. We received our salaries regularly until April, but since then, there has been no payment for the months of May and June. Similarly, for the AR machines, we were promised a monthly payment of ₹25,000, which we have not received since the programme started in January. Whenever we approach the District Medical and Health Officer, we are told that our bills will be cleared soon.”
