ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Monday signed a contract for the commencement of a digital census.
Under the contract, the digital census will be carried out all across the country through an IT Turnkey solution on android-based smart devices. The census to be carried out in 628 tehsils, and approximately 200,000 census blocks.
The solution will ensure the precision and accuracy of population data, in a minimum timeframe.
Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik and PBS Chief Statistician Naeem Zafar signed the contract at the PBS Headquarters, Islamabad.
Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal was present on the occasion.
The Council of Common Interest (CCI) proposed to conduct the upcoming census, adopting modern technologies and digital tools.
As per the recommendations of the committee, the PBS approached the NADRA to present a comprehensive technical proposal for carrying out the first-ever Digital Census in the country in 2022.
Iqbal speaking on the occasion said with the new digital system, the Bureau of Statistics would provide the results of the census to the Election Commission in a timely manner, as a result of which the Election Commission would be able to make new delimitation of constituencies in the country. The digital system developed by the NADRA would ensure transparency and accountability of enumerators and supervisors.
Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik said that an accurate census is critical to our democracy and economy. To be counted in the census is to be both seen and supported. The decision to conduct Pakistan’s first-ever Digital Census reflects a consensus on a transparent census without any prejudice. The NADRA is a natural technology partner of such national initiatives that demand transparency.
Giving details about the conduction of the digital census, Malik apprised that the NADRA is a leading system integrator and trailblazer in the global IT industry and has devised an exclusive complete turnkey solution for carrying out a digital census. The solution includes development and deployment of android-based house listings and enumeration application synchronized with global positioning system (GPS) and geographical information system (GIS), data centre services, call centre services, establishment of technical support centres at each tehsil level along with online web portal for the general public with other allied services, he stated.
Malik said, “The proposed exclusive turnkey solution by NADRA will be carried out in 628 tehsils and approximately 200,000 census blocks by mapping census operations through the use of a global positioning system and geographical information system. However, the pilot phase will start in 500 blocks from July 28 which will be completed by August 1.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022