Federal Secretary, Statistics Division, Asad Elahi on Monday disclosed that population census would be held during next year while the village census (Mouza) will be commenced throughout the country on August 1, 2007 and it would be completed by the end of this year.
While addressing a press conference and responding to newsmen, he said that during the field operation, a complete data regarding important crops would be collected while the preparation for population census is under progress. Joint Secretary Statistics Division, Hussain Saqib, Agriculture Census Commissioner, Liaquat Ali Hamadani and Additional Agriculture Census Commissioner, Muhammad Akram Khan were also present on the occasion.
He said that earlier censuses were held in the years 1971, 1979, 1983, 1993, 1998 and 2003. National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), district governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have also been consulted prior to launch of census process.
Apart from important crops, data of water improvement scheme, taste of sub-soil water, water treatment facility, credit facility by gender, housing condition, sources of irrigation, facility of toilet, dispute resolution mechanism, sewerage facilities, sources of employment, bazaar, pacca streets, pacca drains, types of industries, playgrounds and sport teams by gender development organisations, availability of energy, police station, carpeted roads, electricity and educational facilities would also be collected.
He further said that the data collection process would be completed within this year while its report would be publicised next year. He said that Mauza census would help obtain complete list of Mauzas, Dehs, villages, Killies and Bastis which was needed to prepare sampling frame for selection of Mauzas, Dehs, villages, and Basties for the next agricultural census scheduled for the year 2010.
About the results of Livestock Census 2006, he said that the total number of animals has increased to 142.858 million. The break-up revealed that there were 29.559 million buffaloes; 27.335 million sheep; 26.488 million goats; 53.787 million camels; 0.921 million horses; 0.344 million mules; and asses (donkeys) 4.268 million. As many as 1.683 million cows and 1.111 buffaloes were artificially inseminated in the year 2006, he added.
Responding to an other question, he said that process of transforming federal bureau of statistics (FBS) into an autonomous statistical authority was in progress and the draft bill for the authority has been finalised and is presently lying in the law division.