LOWER DIR: Residents of Haya Serai area of Maidan on Monday complained about prolonged delay in completion of a bridge.

Talking to reporters here, they said Rs120 million were set aside for construction of the bridge approved in 2015 to facilitate people of dozens of villages. They said 70 per cent work on the bridge had been completed, but the construction halted some nine months ago due to unknown reasons.

The residents said the authorities concerned had been repeatedly informed about the suspension of work, but to no effect. They said people, particularly students, faced difficulty in reaching their schools on time as they had to cross the river on foot. They warned to take to the streets if the work on the bridge was not resumed within a week.

COVID-19 VACCINATION: District health officer Dr Irshad Rughani said on Tuesday that a door-to-door vaccination campaign against Covid-19 had been launched in the district from Monday that would continue till Nov 14.

Talking to reporters, he said 430 teams had been formed to vaccinate about 90 per cent of the population till Dec 31.

Mr Rughani said eight special teams for each union council had been formed to achieve the target. He said the teams would also visit government schools to vaccinate students. He said Lower Dir was the first district in the province, where a mass vaccination drive had been started.

He said arrangements had also been finalised for vaccination against measles and Rubella from Nov 15. He asked local elders, ulema and media men to cooperate with the health department in making both the drives a success.

TRAINING WORKSHOP: The youth affairs department in collaboration with the district administration on Tuesday arranged a two-day training workshop on ‘rights & responsibilities of active women citizens’ at government girls higher secondary school in Nagrai Talash.

Tahira Saba Swati, the project coordinator of Development Empowerment Women Association (DEWA), was the guest speaker.

She expressed her views about women’s role and responsibilities in national development. She said men and women had equal roles and responsibilities in reforming the society.

Lower Dir district education officer (women) Asmat Ara Qureshi also addressed the event.

Certificates were distributed among students and shields were presented to officers and guests on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2021