ISLAMABAD: The Census Monitoring Committee (CMC) reviewed the progress on the 1st ever-digital population and housing census, for which the field operation has been completed except for three districts of Kohistan region and some snowbound areas.
The CMC held its meeting in Islamabad under the chair of the Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday.
Members of the committee expressed satisfaction that the digital census was moving smoothly and termed it a moment of pride for the nation as it was the largest South Asian digital census of its kind.
The meeting maintained that the digital system smoothly functioned throughout the field operation without any disruption. The overall progress of the census remained very encouraging and satisfactory, the meeting was told.
It was decided at the CMC meeting that the post-enumeration survey (PES) for the digital population census would be conducted in the light of the Council of Common Interests’ decision to assess the extent of over and under-reporting.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics would work out the modalities for the conduct of PES and prepare a comprehensive plan and strategy for consideration and approval of the CMC. The committee also advised the Finance Division to immediately release the remaining census funds required to be paid to various stakeholders, service providers and field staff.
CMC Asks NADRA, Others to Expadite Digital Census
The CMC also decided that the NADRA will ensure necessary arrangements for the retrieval of tablets and allied matters as per the Standard Operating Procedure to complete the process from 9th to 12th June at 495 census support centres.
The meeting was told that all census district officers would ensure safe and secure storage of tablets at CSC till their dispatch to PBS headquarters. All deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners, being census district officers, will provide duly filled and signed completion certificates in the prescribed format at the earliest.
The meeting decided that payment to the field staff for census work will be made after the provision of the completion certificate by the respective DC/AC as per the decision of the CMC.
Minister for IT Syed Amin UI Haque applauded the efforts made by the PBS and the planning ministry for the successful field operation of 1st ever digital census and congratulated them on accomplishing the challenging task.
The digital census would allow the government to develop evidence-based policy planning for ensuring rights and better service delivery to the masses at their doorstep that would lead to a prosperous nation.
