SHIKARPUR: In very dramatic move the residents of village Mehran Khan near Khanpur town of Shikarpur district sent back the polio teams without administering the polio drops to over 300 children of the village during the ongoing polio vaccine drive some 40 kilometers away from here, on Tuesday.
According to reports, the large number of villagers was led by Ahsan Bijarani refused to administer polio drops and said that they would not allow polio teams to give the polio drops until and unless their village primary school was made functional, which has been lying closed since 2010.
The Primary School has been built in 2010 while staff has also been drawn their salaries despite of that since 2010 Primary School has not been started, they said.
Responding on the call of polio staff, Dr Faiz Muhammad Magsi rushed at village for negotiation, but villagers refused him.
Talking to media person at village, Ahsan Bijarani and other said that in every polio campaign as well as we have made written complains for opening primary school for bright future of the children, but all in vain due to which we have refused to administer polio drops, on the occasion they have demanded of the higher authorities for opening primary for larger interest of the children of the village otherwise they would not allow to administer polio drops.
Talking to media persons, Taluka Officer [TO] Education Khanpur Rabnawaz Bhayo has said that due to tribal dispute no one of the teachers was ready to go there and to perform his duties at primary school and in this regard a report has already been sent to Assistant Commissioner Khanpur for further necessary action.
Talking to Daily Times, Deputy Commissioner Shikarpur Syed Hassan Raza confirmed the refusal by villagers said that he was trying to convince villagers further said that their demand of reopening of the school would be met, but till filling of this story no any development was made. It should be mentioned here that in recent years two polio cases were detected in tehsil Khanpur Union Council Shabirabad.
