Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has decided to print 11.7 million new forms for the 6th census of the country from Pakistan Securities Printing Cooperation.

The sources confirmed that owing to a shortage of forms for the upcoming census, PBS has requested PSPC to print new forms for the census which is scheduled to be held in March 2017. The census department had earlier printed 42.2 million forms for a census last year.

Sources further confirmed that the government had allocated Rs 14.5 billion for conducting the upcoming census throughout the country for which Rs 7.5 billion has been earmarked for security purposes and Rs 7 billion for operational activities.

Out of the allocated fund, the government had released Rs 1.97 billion in 2015, Rs 2.1 billion in 2016 and Rs 5.8 billion during the last week to PBS for preparation of the census but no funds had been released to the Pakistan Army for the security purpose yet, sources added.

A meeting was held for the preparation of the 6th census between the Sindh government and PBS Officials on Monday in which both parties decided that the concerned district administration would take the matter to the Army directly in the sensitive areas. In this connection, a meeting will be held on Tuesday (today) between the Sindh government and Army officials to identify the sensitive areas, sources said.