Census kicks off in Rawalpindi, Jhelum

The population and housing census will be completed stepwise in Rawalpindi until May 25

RAWALPINDI/ JHELUM: The second phase of the sixth census kicked off smoothly in Rawalpindi on Tuesday as 2,300 enumerators started collecting data on the number of houses in the district along with the national identity number of the head of each family.

Rawalpindi Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Nazia Parveen Sudhan and Saddar Assistant Commissioner Tasneem Ali Khan formally inaugurated the campaign by noting down the census number on the Deputy Commissioner’s house in the garrison city.

Sudhan said that the survey to mark the houses would continue till April 27 while the population census would be carried out from April 28 to May 9.

She added that census staff is supposed to return all documents to concerned authorities by May 9 while new documents would be issued on May 10.

The ADC further shared that population and housing census would be completed stepwise in Rawalpindi until May 25.

She added that the designated enumerators would go door-to-door to gather the required information as police and Army personnel provide them with security.

The ADC urged the people to cooperate with census teams and to play their part in making this exercise a success.

The Rawalpindi district has been segregated into 10 parts including Rawalpindi city, Rawalpindi Cantt, Murree, Murree Cantt, Taxila Cantt, Gujar Khan, Kallar Syedan, Kahuta, Wah Cantt and Kotli Sattiyan.

As many as 4,509 blocks and 553 circles have been formed in the district.

The exercise also kicked off in the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) areas where a team formally launched the exercise by inscribing census number on the wall of ‘Pine House’, the official residence of the Cantonment’s executive officer.

The RCB has been divided into 56 circles with 439 blocks which will be covered by 314 field staff.

In Jhelum, the activities began peacefully. The area has been divided into 30 urban and 138 rural circles and 1,277 blocks. In these areas, 195 circle superintendents have been appointed while 703 enumerators would conduct the exercise.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2017.