Census exercise begins in peace in Ghotki district

In some areas, residents claim details were taken on plain paper instead of prescribed forms

SUKKUR: As the first phase of the population census kicked off across the country on Wednesday, house count began in Ghotki district, in which around 648 teams participated.

The district was divided in five talukas – Ghotki, Mirpur Mathelo, Daharki, Ubauro and Khangarh.

According to the 1998 census, the population of Ghotki district was 970,550, of which 16.33% was urban while 83.67% people lived in rural areas. The Ghotki district was divided into 21 charges with as many charge superintendents posted. As many as 133 circle superintendents and 648 general supervisors have also been deployed. In all, the Ghotki district has been divided into 1,294 blocks. One control room in each taluka has been set up for solving the problems of the people and their guidance. Around 3,000 people, including schoolteachers, policemen and army men, have been assigned duties.



Ghotki district comprises katcha and desert areas, which used to be under the influence of criminal elements. However, thanks to concerted police action, criminal elements have now been confined to the katcha of Ubauro and Raunti alone.

According to residents, each team visiting the houses comprised one teacher, one policeman and two army jawans. The process was conducted smoothly while people cooperated with the teams.

Residents shared that the house count teams, comprising four persons each, were visiting almost all the villages and collecting data of the houses besides information from the head of the family about the number of family members. Haji Siddiq Chachar, a resident of the katcha near Qadirpur Loop Bund, told The Express Tribune that the team went to every house to record information. According to him, around 50% people living in the katcha do not possess Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) but they, too, are being registered.



Meanwhile, residents of Ubauro and Raunti claimed that the teams visited the katcha area and the process is being carried out smoothly. However, some people in the katcha complained that the teams, instead of filling the prescribed forms, were compiling the details of the houses and heads of families on a plain paper. When asked why they were doing this, claimed residents, team members said they are saving time and will fill the particular forms later.

According to residents of Khangarh, which is the desert belt of Ghotki district, the census teams are visiting the area without any discrimination and no complaints have so far been reported. Control rooms at taluka level have been established with the aim to guide the people properly and address their complaints if any.