Rawalpindi - The population census 2017 will begin in the district from today (Tuesday) as the census authorities distributed necessary equipment among the field staff on Monday.
A large numbers of teachers and other staffers gathered at the TMA Rawal Town amid tight security cover provided by the Pakistan Rangers, Army and police. According to City Police Officer (CPO) Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi, 2600 police cops and officers would perform security duty. Similarly, the district authorities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday demarcated disputed areas falling on boundaries of the twin cities. A large numbers of police officials have also been assigned the task to guard the census staffers along with Army. Form-1 would be used for counting households and Form-2 for counting of family members.
According to available information, in the forms, code I will be used for mentioning number of male members, code II for female members, code III for eunuchs, code IV for disabled men and male children, code V for disabled women and female children, and code VI for disabled transgender. Discussion with different officials of the district government by The Nation has revealed the census that was earlier scheduled to start on March 30 had been changed owning to security situation. A central control room for the census had been set up in old building of Rawalpindi Municipal Administration and relevant staff had been given due training.
An eight-member committee had been set up to supervise and coordinate census process that would continue for one month. The committee is headed by the Deputy Commissioner and comprised mayor, City Police Officer, a military officer having rank of major, district officer census, executive officers of Chaklala and Rawalpindi Cantonment Boards, and officials from education department.
The authorities have divided the areas into charges, circles and blocks. In urban areas, there will be 28 charges, 203 circles, 1, 750 blocks. Each block will cover 250 to 300 houses, each circle will cover five to six blocks, and each charge will cover five to seven circles.
In rural areas of the district, the authorities had declared one revenue estate (moza) as one block, the patwar circle as one census circle, and the Qanoongao circle as one charge for the census.
The supervisor committee has reportedly made all arrangements for stay and food of military personnel performing their duties and honorarium that will be paid to the field staff.
According to 1998 census, the population of Rawalpindi district was 3, 363,911. The density of the population was 851.3 persons for one square kilometer. Furthermore, according to the Election Commission Pakistan, the total number of register voters in the seven National Assembly constituencies of the district in 2013 was 2.625486 million.
According to experts, the population of second most urbanised city of Punjab was tended to see a steep rise in the coming census. The city had spread several kilometers towards its south. Many rural areas had been converted into urban area. A mushroom growth of private housing societies has been witnesses since 2000. The urbanization will lead to more dense population, the experts said. A police spokesperson said the first phase of the population census will start on April 25 and will remain continue till May 8. He said the second phase of census will be started from May 11 till 24 May. The staffers would be provided security by 111 Brigade in the 7 tehsils of Rawalpindi, he said.