Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on March 4 inaugurated the Rs 100 crore Sri Venkateswara Aravind Eye Hospital in Tirupati.

He inaugurated the hospital after taking part in several government programmes in Madanapalle, Pungunur and Tirupati, in his native Chittoor district. The 140 bedded eye hospital built at a cost of Rs 100 crore here would render 50 per cent of its services on payment and the balance would be made available either free of cost or at higly subsidized rate,an official of the hospital told PTI.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which governs the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala here had resolved in 2015 to allot seven acres owned by it on lease for a nominal annual charge to the Tamil Nadu based Aravind Eye Care Systems, a temple official said.

They had come forward to construct a mega eye care hospital for the benefit of pilgrims, general public in Rayalaseema districts and TTD staff, he said. The Aravind Eye Care Hospitals, a World Health Organisation collaborating centre for prevention and control of blindness, now runs a dozen eye hospitals in Tamil Nadu and one in the holy city Tirupati as well, an official of hospitals said. Before inaugurating the Aravind Hospital here, Naidu also laid the foundation stones for various works, including a Rs 624 core elevated corridor under the Rs 1564 crore Tirupati under smart city project.