KARACHI:
Pakistan’s seventh digital population and housing census commenced yesterday while the self-enumeration portal was launched on 20th February and will continue till 3rd March. Within days of the launch of the online portal, almost 4 million clicks have been reported.
As many as 121,000 field enumerators will carry out the field operation of the survey and verify people’s information through an electronic device. The process will be completed by 1st April. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the data obtained from the process will be used for constituency delimitation in the next general elections as well as for public policy planning. The data will allow the government to improve resource allocation in different areas based on population. For instance, areas with higher populations that require an increase in health facilities can potentially receive sufficient funding and resources.
The digital census has also reduced overall government expenditure on population census. Considering that the enumerators have received comprehensive training on the use of digital devices, the likelihood of discrepancies in data collection has also been minimised. It will also ensure transparency and allow the data to be processed faster. Thus, everyone must cooperate with the enumerators and provide them with correct data to ensure the success of this endeavour.
Khalida Khalid
Turbat
Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2023.
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