KHAR: The residents of remote Mamond tehsil of Bajaur Agency have been assured of development.

The assurance was given by political agent Abdul Amir Khattak and MNA Haji Bismillah Khan during a visit to the area on Monday.

The political agent claimed that hefty funds had been allocated for development of remote and backward areas in the current Annual Development Programme. He announced several development schemes for the tehsil, including establishment of a degree college, governor modal school and a children park.

MNA Bismillah Khan also announced construction of link roads in the tehsil.

Earlier, on their arrival in Gaktki area of War Mamond tehsil, the elders criticised them for ignoring the region in development schemes.

They said the area had suffered a lot due to militancy and counterterrorism operations, but the authorities had failed to rebuild the damaged infrastructure during last eight years.

The elders briefed the officials about the problems the region was facing.

The political agent was told that War Mamond was given the tehisl status in 2004, but it did not see any development project since then.

They said Mamond was the most populous tehsil of the agency, but the region lacked basic facilities. They informed the political agent that there was no girls high school, boys degree college and health unit in the entire tehsil which increased miseries of people.

The residents also criticised MNA Bismillah Khan for ignoring the region in development schemes. They said they had voted for him in the 2013 elections with the hope that he would focus on development of the tehsil, but the legislator did not allocate any uplift funds.

ANTI-POLIO DRIVE: A three-day anti-polio campaign began in Bajaur Agency on Monday under tight security.

According the local health department, 227,569 children up to five years of age would be vaccinated across the agency for which 709 teams, including 41 fixed and 18 transit, have been set up.

Over 900 Levies personnel have been deployed across the agency for the security of polio teams during the door-to-door campaign.

ROCKET ATTACK: Unknown miscreants targeted a water supply scheme in Mamond tehsil on Sunday night, local people and officials said.

They said a rocket, fired by unknown persons, hit a tube-well in Tarkhoo area, however, it caused no damage. They said a watchman present on the spot, escaped unhurt.

Following the incident, Bajaur Levies personnel launched a search operation to trace the culprits.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2017