BAJAUR: Residents of Mandal area of Salarzai tehsil here on Tuesday ended boycott of the ongoing anti-polio campaign over lack of facilities in the region after a team senior administration officials assured them of addressing their demands.

Talking to mediapersons, Khar subdivision assistant commissioner Fazal Raheem, who led the team, said that villagers of Mandal locality having a population of over 50,000 had boycotted the ongoing five-day anti-polio campaign in protest against lack of proper health, education, road and other facilities in their area.

The official said he along with a team of district administration and police personnel reached the locality to convince the villagers to end their boycott. He said the elders during a meeting told them that their area lacked basic facilities and the boycott was aimed at getting the attention of the government and administration for resolution of their longstanding issues.

The AC said that boycott of the anti-polio campaign was unlawful though the villagers’ grievances were valid. The villagers agreed to end their boycott after the officials assured them of addressing their demands.

Later, the health workers gave polio drops to several children on the occasion.

In Lakki Marwat, the health department has formed 892 teams for vaccination of targeted children under five years of age in 45 union councils, according to an official.

He said the mobile teams had been sent to their assigned areas in the morning to administer oral polio vaccine to the children. He said that 35 transit teams had also been deployed at public places and bus terminals to immunise children travelling along with their parents in public transport.

Deputy commissioner Abdul Haseeb and DPO Imran Khan inspected fixed centres established in Bachkan Ahmadzai BHU and a hospital in Tajori town. They urged the parents to cooperate with the polio workers and get their children vaccinated against the crippling disease.

Also in the day, Tank district police officer Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada checked security arrangements for the polio eradication campaign during visits to several urban and rural localities in the district.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2021