The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra will provide free spectacles for all school students aged between 6-18 years.
The decision was taken at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening.
The project will cost Rs.20 crore plus a recurring expenditure of around Rs.5 crore per annum.
As per the central government’s Rashtriya Bal Swasthaya Programme, all school students undergo a health checkup every year.
This year, 1195 medical teams on the job found that the incidence of visual problems has increased significantly among the school students.
Official sources said the government plans to provide spectacles estimated to cost around Rs.200 to each such affected students, of which 25 percent would need higher power glasses after a year.
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