SWABI, Sept 3: Teachers and senior staffers of the government schools and colleges on Tuesday decided not to participate in the anti-polio campaign in the district, saying the task will adversely affect their basic job.

The decision was made during a joint meeting of All Teachers Association, Malgary Ustazan, All Teachers Association (Tarnabi Group) and Senior Staff Association leaders at Government High School, Maneri.

SSA district president Miraj Khan chaired the meeting, where leaders of teaching organisations and teachers were in attendance in large numbers.

The participants said they had already performed their duties in the board of intermediate and secondary education examinations and the examinations conducted by universities.

They said they had also performed their duty in general elections, by-elections, local body elections and the crucial and complicated process of the census also conducted by them with complete devotion and concentration.

The participants said they were no more in a position to take further burden along with teaching.

They urged the authorities to let them concentrate on professional duties as educational institutions reopened on Sept 2 after summer vacations. The participants said they could no more afford to join the anti-polio campaign nor were they ready to do so in future.

They said the anti-polio duty fell in the jurisdiction of the health department staff and they should perform duty like in the past.

Abdul Latif, ATA district president, said it was duty of the health department to carry out anti-polio vaccination drive.

They questioned where the health department staff had gone, why the teachers had been included in the anti-polio vaccination campaign duty and how the health department performed its duty earlier.

It is learnt that a total of 173 teachers, especially primary school teachers (PSTs), have been told to perform the polio duty but they did not join the campaign which had already completed in Razaar and Chota Lahor tehsils.

Also, the health staff and deputy commissioner have regularly discussed the polio progress and the entire situation has been properly monitored.

Dr Yuqub, the district in charge of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), said they had begun anti-polio campaign in Swabi tehsil and it would be followed by the campaign in Topi tehsil.

He said the total staff required for the anti-polio campaign was around 1400. Dr Yaqub said despite boycott of teachers, they carried out the drive in Razaar and Chota Lahor tehsils.

He said the three-day campaign was extended to the fourth day to bring positive results.

He said police had provided security umbrella in Razaar and Chota Lahor but refused to do so for the fourth day in Topi and Swabi.

“We have discussed the issue with the officials concerned and tried to convince but it is not clear yet whether they would provide security coverage for the fourth day,” he said.