CM Chandrababu Naidu lays the foundation for LV Prasad Eye Institute in Amaravati, which will provide eye care, research and training services.
Amaravati: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and formally launched construction works at Abbarajupalem in Tulluru mandal of Amaravati.
The institute will be established across 12 acres under the Sudha and Venkat Jasti Campus. According to the project details shared by the State Government, the facility is being designed to provide eye-care services to around 3 lakh people every year.
Besides clinical services, the institute will focus on ophthalmic research, training and community health programmes. A dedicated Eye and Brain Centre will also be established as part of the Amaravati campus.
Addressing a public meeting after the bhoomi puja, Chandrababu Naidu said it was a matter of pride for Amaravati to host a prestigious institution such as LV Prasad Eye Institute.
He said LVPEI had already provided nearly 3 crore eye-care services and expressed hope that the Amaravati campus would help expand its services further.
The Chief Minister said he expected the Amaravati centre to develop into a leading institution for eye-care research, treatment and training.
He also highlighted LVPEI's work in providing eye-care services to economically weaker sections and said the institute was operating 319 centres across four States.
Naidu appreciated the institute's use of the Digital Health Eye Profile to facilitate timely treatment and welcomed the proposed Eye and Brain Centre. He congratulated Dr. G.N. Rao and Venkat Jasti for their efforts in developing the institution.
The Chief Minister said Amaravati was increasingly receiving attention across the country and gaining international recognition as a people's capital.
According to Naidu, the State Government is developing Amaravati as a no-pollution, blue-green, green-energy and carbon-neutral city, while also seeking to position it as a DeepTech capital.
He said the State was expanding its focus beyond the IT sector to emerging areas such as quantum computing.
Naidu said a quantum computing centre was being established in Amaravati with the participation of IBM, TCS and L&T, including a 133-qubit quantum computer, according to the State Government's plans.
He further said 21 quantum startups had come forward to establish operations in Amaravati, while five quantum computing companies had developed three-qubit computers. Quantum computers are also scheduled to be installed at various universities on October 3, he said.
The Chief Minister said infrastructure and development works worth around Rs. 50,000 crore were currently underway in Amaravati.
Major infrastructure projects planned for the capital include inner and outer ring roads, a Sports City and an international airport.
He said educational institutions including VIT, SRM and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham had already established their presence in Amaravati, while campuses of BITS Pilani and XLRI were expected to come up.
Naidu said Amaravati was being developed as a hub for the knowledge economy, research, healthcare and human development.
The healthcare ecosystem would include institutions such as the Basavatarakam Cancer Institute and LV Prasad Eye Institute, he said.
He also said Amaravati had the potential to develop into a centre for artificial intelligence, laboratory automation, experimental biology and a Quantum Bio Valley.
The Chief Minister said Amaravati would also emerge as a major centre of financial activity with the proposed Banking Street.
He announced that a Pan-IIT Conference would be held in Vijayawada on October 3. Experts who studied at various IITs and are now working across the world are expected to participate in discussions on future development, technology and innovation.
Naidu once again appreciated the farmers who contributed their lands for the development of the capital.
Expressing hope that Amaravati would emerge as a destination offering world-class living standards and research opportunities, the Chief Minister called upon the youth to make use of emerging technologies and new opportunities and strive for excellence.
